Determined by Fate
by Angelfan15
Summary: Buffy moves to Los Angeles and suddenly she can't seem to stay out of trouble, she is rescued by a stranger with a secret, but he isn't the only one with a secret. This is an Alternate Reality, Angel is a vampire but Buffy isn't the slayer.
1. Oh God

Title: Determined by Fate

By Angelfan15

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything.

Pairing: Buffy/Angel mainly

Distribution: Let me know where it's going!

Spoilers: This is an alternate reality, Angel is a vampire but Buffy isn't the slayer.

Rating: NC-17 later on.

Summary: Buffy moves to Los Angeles and suddenly she can't seem to stay out of trouble, she is rescued by a stranger with a secret, but he isn't the only one with a secret. Horrible summary, I know. Alternate Reality

A/N: I started this story 4 years ago and I have about 20 chapters written but I have been editing it so much in the last couple of years that I just thought I would post it and see what you guys think. There are some scenes from Buffy and Angel that appear in this story but it's mostly set in the Angel timeline.

Thank you, Allison117 for telling me to go for it and post this!

Chapter 1: Oh God!

"Oh God, Oh God!" The blonde mumbled walking down the suddenly empty street of Los Angeles. She looked around the street, wasn't there just cars going by and a few homeless people and thugs hanging around? "I'm so going to die!" She spun around to look behind her, everything was making her jumpy these days. She thought someone had been following her earlier in the night but wasn't sure, it could have just been her paranoia. "Why do I always have to put things off until the last minute? Even my life apparently." She whispered.

The blonde spun around when a gust of wind began to whip her hair all over the place and the ground began to shake. Her eyes widened when she saw three dark clothed figures sitting in large chairs. "So NOT good." She let out a labored breath and slowly started walking towards them.

0o0o0o

Angel walked down the dark Los Angeles street, ignoring the thugs and homeless people. He was being pulled in this direction for some reason he was unaware of. It had been happening all night, he didn't know where he was going or why. First, he went to a rundown magic shop that looked as if no one ever went there. Then he went to a demon fight club called The Ring that he and his team had thought they shut down after he was captured and forced to fight to the death with other demons. They would have to shut it down for good this time. Then he found himself being pulled into a demon bar called Caritas, it was a safe haven for demons. No fighting allowed but a lot of bad Karaoke was guaranteed. Angel knew the owner, Lorne, he was a Deathwok Demon of the Deathwok Clan in Pylea, he had left his demonic dimension because he was nothing like the rest of his clan. The rest of his clan hated humans and had a lust for blood while Lorne happened to like people, Lorne liked everyone unless they gave him a reason not to. He also liked singing and Art. Lorne found the beauty in everything, he was a great guy but he called Angel pastries and that didn't go over well with him. When Angel had walked in the bartender asked Angel if he was going to sing. Angel cringed, he wasn't a good singer, that he knew and so did pretty much everyone else in the bar. As soon as Lorne had spotted him, Angel was afraid he was going to tell him he was next on stage but instead the horned green demon had turned him around and told him he was needed elsewhere. He didn't know where, he had even asked Lorne but the demon lightly pushed him out the door saying "You already know." But he didn't know! How would he know? Maybe it had something to do with where he was walking because it certainly wasn't him controlling his legs.

Now here he was in the not so good part of Los Angeles, it wasn't the worst area there was but it certainly wasn't the best. He looked down when something caught his eye on the ground, bending down to pick it up he looked at the object questioningly before flipping it over, he recognized it immediately. Looking up, he checked his surroundings trying to find who it belonged too but the only people on the street were the thugs and homeless people who were trying to find food in the trash. Toying with the object in his hands he flipped it over as he walked, he felt a sudden change in the energy around him, he knew that feeling. Checking his surroundings, he noticed no one was on the streets anymore. He had just passed through a force field.

Angel furrowed his brow when his gaze was drawn to a short blonde woman standing about a hundred feet down the street from him, she looked nervous. He could smell her fear. He looked down at the object in his hand then back up to the blonde that was when he noticed the three demons in their black robes. He knew exactly who they were, he had heard of them before but never actually came face to face with them. "Tribunal" He mumbled walking closer to the girl who looked as if she needed some help.

Angel quickened his pace to get to her as he heard one of the robed demons flat toned voice. "Where is your champion?"

The young woman whimpered.

"If you cannot tell us the name of your Champion this trial is over." The demon in the middle spoke again.

Angel tossed the Coat of Arms talisman in front of the demons. "His name is Angel."

The blonde woman spun around quickly to see who had spoken, he was a tall dark-haired man with dark eyes wearing all black. Angel was taken back when he saw her, she was beautiful with her long blonde hair, the most adorable nose he had even seen and green eyes. Sad, scared green eyes.

"Let the trial by combat begin." The robed demon spoke.

The blonde looked from The Tribunal to her Champion and back again, she ran over to the tall dark-haired man. "You can't do this. You are going to die!"

"Been there, done that." He shrugged. Glancing up at the robed demons he raised his voice. "Fight to the death, right?" The spokesperson for The Tribunal nodded once. "It's always a fight to the death, it's never something more fun." He joked to the blonde.

"You can't do this, I won't let you!" The blonde shouted.

Angel and the blonde woman looked up when they heard the clicking of horse feet on the normally busy street. A demon dressed in black armor riding a black horse appeared with a shield and a large rod. "Seriously? Death by Jousting?" Angel shook his head. "Couldn't be something from this century?"

"Do you have a death wish?" The blonde shouted. "You can't do this. You. Are. Going. To. Die! As in totally dead, not coming back. I can't let you give up…

"Here's the thing." Angel said as a brown horse walked up beside him. He gave the horse an odd look for a second then turned back to the blonde. "You aren't letting me do anything, I'm doing it. End of discussion." Angel put his foot in the stirrup and threw his other leg over the horse to sit in the saddle.

"Have you ever ridden one of these before?" The blonde still looked worried but felt it was pointless to argue with this man.

"Yeah." He nodded. "A long time ago. I grew up around horses, I even used to have a horse, her name was Mandy.

"Mandy?" The blonde wrinkled up her nose in the cutest way. "Like Berry Manilow, Mandy?"

Angel smiled at the blonde. "I like you."

Biting her lip, she sighed as she looked to the demon dressed in black armor who she was sure was going to kill this man who had come to her rescue. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's what I do." He told her and squeezed his legs together to get the horse to walk.

"… but have you ever jousted before? "She asked earning a shrug from the man. The girl started to walk along side of him on the brown horse. "Please, please, just stop."

"If I don't do this then you will die." He told her.

"But if you do this YOU will die." She tried to reason.

"I'm okay with that." He smiled at her once more.

The blonde's green eyes became large. "Well, I'm not!"

"Enough!" The robed demon exclaimed. "Begin."

The blonde worried her lip as she looked back up at her Champion. "Please don't die."

"Don't worry about me, Little One."

She watched him ride the horse away from her. "How can I not?"

Angel looked back at the blonde then down at the horse. "Try not to make me look stupid out there, okay? Alright." He placed the shield on his arm and grabbed his jousting stick.

The demon sitting in the middle chair pulled out a red clothe, as he waved the clothe the black horse with the demon on it began to run towards Angel.

"I guess that means go." Angel said as his horse backed up slightly, neighing as Angel got a better grip on the rod. The brown horse began to run towards the black horse causing Angel's long black duster to flap behind him. Once the two horsemen were close enough Angel hit the demon hard enough for him to lean backwards.

Angel turned his horse around, without hesitation the horse ran back towards the black horse and the demon. The demon hit Angel with his jousting stick knocking him off the brown horse. Angel heard the blonde woman gasp, he quickly got off the ground running to his horse he grabbed two swords that were in the side of the saddle as the demon rode the black horse straight at Angel. He swung the sword knocking the demon off the horse. The demon pulled an axe from its place on his belt blocking Angel's swing over his head. Angel spun around, swinging his sword at the demon but once again his attack was blocked by the axe. Each time Angel swung the demon would block him. Angel swung his sword one last time but the demon grabbed his arm, spinning around and stabbed Angel with his own sword.

The blonde gasped again, looking away.

Angel doubled over, his mouth hanging open as the demon stepped away, Angel fell to his hands and knees.

"No, no, no. no…" The blonde whispered running over to Angel. She fell to her knees where he was laying in the road, she took his hand in hers. "Why did you have to…"

"Don't cry for me, Little One." He gave her a half smile as he lifted his hand, softly wiping away her tear. She started to cry harder when she felt his hand on her face. She didn't know this man but she was the reason this was happening to him.

"The Champion is defeated." The robed demon said. "She is yours."

The demon who had just killed her Champion pulled out a small knife, stepping towards her, growling. He grabbed her and held the knife to her throat.

"I move to appeal that ruling." Came the voice of her Champion.

The demon turned around to look at him and the blonde took the opportunity to get away from him, she looked to her Champion as he pulled the sword out of his own stomach, only a short second later the man swung the sword, cutting the demons head off. The girl's eyes went large as she watched the head hit the ground, landing near his fallen body.

"She's safe now, right?" Her champion asked as he doubled over in pain gasping.

The robed demon nodded. "You have won." Was all he said before all three of the members of The Tribunal disappeared.

The blonde turned to her Champion shocked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He panted turning to walk away.

Cars drove past them as they walked in the middle of the road and the sound of a trash can falling to the ground and people talking could suddenly be heard.

"Are you sure?" She asked touching his arm. "Your bleeding a lot, we should get you to a hospital."

"No, I'm fine." He panted as he walked. "It's part of the job. You wanna tell me why you were messed up with The Tribunal in the first place?"

"Wrong place, wrong time?" She said more as a question.

Angel shook his head. "That isn't how they work."

"I don't know exactly…" The blonde sighed. "Apparently, I accidentally killed like this sacred demon or something that wasn't hatched yet. I didn't even know demons were real!"

"How did you kill it?" He winced as he stepped up on the sidewalk.

The woman bit her lip. "I maybe… kind of tripped and landed on it. I was covered in all this nasty goo stuff and all the sudden those guys show up and say I have to fight to the death because of it or pick a champion to fight for me. It's all totally crazy! Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded as he looked over at her.

"Can I maybe know the name of the guy who saved my life?" She asked him.

"Angel." He breathed out.

The woman smiled. "Suiting. I'm Buffy,"

"Well, Buffy you should get somewhere safe. I don't need to tell you there are things that go bump in the night and you don't want to be around when they do." He stood up taller, gasping for the air he didn't actually need. He felt odd, not like a sword just went clear through him odd but it was something else.

"Just like that?" The woman he now knew as Buffy asked. "You don't want anything in return?"

"Like I said…" He told her. "It's my job."

"Oh." She whispered, sounding slightly disappointed but he didn't know about what. "Okay..." she leaned towards him and lightly kissed his cheek. "Thanks again… Angel."

Angel watched her walk away, she looked back at him a few times before she hurried off into the night. Once he could no longer see her he fell against the brick building behind him. "Why couldn't I have drove here." He winced.

0o0o0

As soon as he walked into the large apartment a woman with long curly brown hair walked over to him, clearly upset. "Where the hell have you been?" She demanded. "Is that blood? I thought we agreed that you wouldn't go out without us!"

"Yes, I believe we did…" Said the British man's standing behind her. "We agreed to go out as a group."

Angel sighed and sat down in the kitchen chair. "I didn't really plan it, I was on my way here but then I… wasn't."

"Where were you?" The woman repeated.

"You know The Ring is back up and running?" Angel asked his friends as he struggled to take his coat off, carefully.

The woman raised her eyebrows at him. "Is that where you were?"

"We should probably take care of that. I don't like demons as much as the next rogue demon hunter but they shouldn't be put in cages to fight to the death." The British man said.

"Yeah, you are so bad ass." The brunette rolled her eyes. "So, you went to The Ring after they had YOU in one of their matches? Are you insane?"

"I also went to Caritas. I think Lorne is losin' it."

The sound of the bathroom door opening caused Angel to look in that direction when he saw his friend walk out, he continued undressing. "Really Delia, the man is sitting in your kitchen bleeding and you are asking where he has been?" The Irish man asked taking Angel's coat from him. "Wes, you get the first aid, will ya?"

"Thanks Doyle." Angel removed his shirt. "At least one person cares."

Cordelia Chase rolled her eyes and took the first aid kit from Wesley, pulling a chair out to sit in front of Angel. "Did Lorne have something to tell you?"

"Actually, the opposite." Angel winced when Doyle poked at his wound. "I got there and he pushed me out the door, said I already knew where I needed to be."

Doyle leaned in closer. "That a sword wound?"

Angel nodded.

"I take it you found where you needed to be?" Cordelia motioned to the wound she had just started to clean.

Wesley leaned over to get a closer look. "That or he happened to stumble into a fight."

"Both." Angel made a confused face. "I think."

"Care to elaborate?" Wesley Wyndam-Pryce asked his boss.

"I felt… drawn to these different places… a magic shop, The Ring then Caritas. When Lorne told me I already knew where I needed to be I was confused but for some reason I started walking. I ended up walking through a force field and suddenly all the cars, the people in the street they were all gone and there was a girl in the middle of the road standing before The Tribunal."

"What's that?" Cordelia asked with a confused look on her face.

"Extraordinary!" Wesley exclaimed sitting down in the chair across from Angel. "You must have been meant to be there, that is the only way you could have gotten through!"

Cordelia raised her hand. "Hello, still in the dark here."

Doyle sighed as he shook his head, sometimes they forgot that Cordelia didn't know as much about the demon world as they did. "The Tribunal is like… Supreme Court in the demon world. They pass judgment, determine if someone lives or dies. The difference is to determine who lives or dies they have to fight to the death, which means" He looked towards Angel. "the girl lived… right?

Angel nodded.

"Well, that is stupid if you ask me." Cordelia blurted out. "What if the person is innocent? They don't win a fight so they die?"

"Things are different in the demon world." Angel told her as she continued cleaning his wound.

"Wait a minute." Doyle walked to the kitchen counter picking up a tablet. "This her?" He asked handing the tablet to Angel.

Looking over the sketch Angel nodded. That was Buffy. "Yeah, that's her."

"I had a vision of her!" Doyle exclaimed. "I tried to call you, man but no answer. She shouldn't have been there in the first place, she didn't mean to do it. I saw it all in my vision." He pointed to his head. "She tripped and fell."

"She said the demon was sacred…" Angel gave his Irish friend an unsure look.

Doyle shook his head. "It was a Grimslaw Demon, nothing sacred about 'em."

Wesley began flipping through a book and slid it over to Cordelia before she could ask the question he knew was coming.

"Ewww, that is like a giant spider!" She made a disgusted face. "What did she do to it?"

"She fell on the egg before it hatched." Angel repeated what Doyle had said.

Cordelia shivered and slammed the book shut. "Well I say a big thank you to her!"

"As long as she is safe now we should discuss The Ring." Wesley reminded the rest of the group.


	2. Demon Magnet

Guest- Thank you for the review! I hope you continue to enjoy this story! This is my first story with Angel as a vampire, or any form of supernatural, so I hope it's good.

Allison117- Thank you so much! I love that I can keep you on your toes! I promise not to keep you waiting too long because I do have a good number of chapters already written. I'm just reading them over once again and making a few corrections that I'm catching before I post them. I should have another chapter to post tomorrow!

Chapter 2: Demon Magnet

"Anybody else feelin' muscles they'd never knew 'bout?" Charles Gunn asked as he walked out of the large building with Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and Doyle. Several demons they had just set free hurried out behind them and scattered.

Cordelia nodded and Wesley moaned, both of them to tired and sore to even talk. Doyle limped behind them as he tried to reshape his hat the best he could.

Gunn turned around, watching all the demons run in all directions. "We really just gonna let them loose like that?"

Cordelia nodded again.

"You know we are gonna have to kill them all later when they attack some innocent, right?" Gunn reminded them.

Angel looked down at his favorite shirt that was now ripped. "We have done this before Gunn."

"Yeah, exactly." The African American pointed to the building. "That is why a whole buncha killin should have gone down in there instead of all your touchy feely giving them a chance speech. If me and my crew were takin' care of this we would have made sure there wasn't humans in there and blow the whole place up!"

"Well, this isn't your crew." Angel reminded him. "When you are here with us you are a part of MY team meaning you do what I say."

"I get it man!"

Angel looked down at his shirt again, he was going to have to find a new favorite shirt. He had, had this black silk shirt for years, he was a little sad to see it go. "I am going to head back to my place and get changed, then I will meet you at Cordelia's."

"Are you sure?" Wesley asked.

Angel just nodded and headed to his car.

Doyle nudged Gunn in the ribs causing them both to wince. "I would have liked da kill 'em all too."

0o0o0o

Angel stepped out of his small apartment, he honestly didn't like his apartment. He had been living there since his old apartment that was below their office had been blown up a few years before when a demon had tried to take a scroll from his apartment that they were unable to translate completely, luckily Wesley had been prepared and for some reason made photo copies of the scroll and kept one copy at Cordelia's apartment and the other at his own. Wesley had been working on translating the scroll when the demon showed up. Wesley had ended up in the hospital because he was in the apartment at the time of the explosion, Cordelia had been just entering the building and the blast sent her flying backwards and into a car, she ended up in the hospital where she was in a short coma. The demon had known that Doyle would see him coming in his visions so he used them against him, sending him vision after vision of people in need until he couldn't take it anymore and he collapsed in the middle of the street. He was almost hit by a car and he too ended up in the hospital. With all three of the people he called family in the hospital Angel turned to the one ally he had left, Charles Gunn, a street kid who had a gang of misfits. Gunn and his crew did their best to keep the streets safe for other people like them. Gunn didn't like Angel at first, he didn't like any vampire or demon for that matter, Angel had earned his respect by protecting members of Gunn's crew but mainly his younger sister. Now Gunn would help out every now and then because he liked the fight and the reason behind why Angel and his team were fighting.

Angel locked his apartment door and got into his car, he started the drive to Cordelia's apartment that they had made into the office of the Detective Agency, Angel Investigations, until they could find a new office. He slammed on his breaks bringing his black convertible to a screeching stop when he heard a female scream from an alley. He jumped out of his car, wishing he could catch a break, his body was still sore from fighting off all the demons that had protested the closing of The Ring. His vampire body was healing much faster than his human friends who fought beside him in the same fight but that didn't mean his body didn't protest every once in a while.

Running down the alley he saw three vampires, two of them were holding someone against the brick wall of the building while the other one was feeding off who he assumed to be the persons friend, he rolled his eyes when he saw the vampire groping the young dead girl, he hated it when people played with their food. Angel slammed one vampires face into the brick wall and grabbed the second one by the hair. There was nothing he could do for the person laying on the ground but he could still help the second victim. He pulled the vampire by the hair and gritted his teeth. "Good dogs don't bite!" He slammed the vampire's head into the wall beside the girls head, she winced in fear that she would be hit. "You?!" Angel exclaimed when he saw who the vampire's victim was.

Angel now had the attention of the third vampire who had stopped feeding to attack Angel, he punched the vampire so hard it's head whipped to the left, then hit him again and his head whipped to the right. He grabbed the vampire and threw him into his two friends knocking them all down for a moment. "You know, you're not making my life easier!" He turned to look at the girl, while he was distracted one of the vampires had gotten up, the girls eyes widened, her face still wet from her tears but her reaction didn't register soon enough in Angel's mind, he took a blow to the side of the face with a trash can, knocking him to the ground. The other two vampires got up, looking down at the vampire who had interrupted them.

"Okay, now I'm pissed off!" Angel growled now wearing his game face. Picking up an old broom he swung it hitting all three vampires in the face with the bristles. While they were distracted he snapped the broom stick over his knee, staking the largest vampire, who had been feeding off the young girl, before the dust even hit the ground Angel had staked a second vampire and delivered a round house kick to the third vampire, wondering what he could stake the last one with. He looked down when he heard something hit the ground, bending down he picked up the small stake, plunging it into the last vampire's heart. He turned quickly to the girl still leaning against the brick wall. "Didn't I tell you to stay inside at night, Buffy?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Your one of them."

Realizing he still had his vampire face on, he morphed back into his angelic form. "You aren't going to run out of here screaming?" Angel asked taking a step closer to her.

Buffy shrugged. "I figure if you were going to kill me, you would have already done it… but instead you saved me. Twice. You're not like them."

"Well, if I have to save you again I am going to be pissed." Angel pointed at her. "I don't like to repeat myself, STAY IN when it's dark." Angel closed his eyes when he smelt blood, he didn't want his face to shift in front of her again. After a moment he opened his eyes again when he was calm, he took another step towards her, tilting his head to look at her neck. "One of them nipped you, didn't they."

"Wha…" Buffy reached her hand up to her neck and felt warm liquid there. Crap. "You didn't have to help me ya know. I have been doing just fine for the past week."

"How often have you been 'doing just fine' in the past week?" He shot at her. "Don't tell me you go out at night all the time."

"There are these people I have been hanging out with… they help me." Buffy told him not moving from where she had her back up against the wall. "Only we got separated… some vampires attacked us and they told me to run but when I did those two vampires grabbed me."

Angel shook his head in disbelief. "Go HOME, Buffy. Go home and be with your perfect little family and DON'T go out at night! I'm not messing around." He turned to walk out of the alley.

"I don't have one."

"What?" Angel asked stopping in his tracks and looked back at her.

"A family." She answered, finally stepping away from the brick wall. "My mom kicked me out a few years ago and… well, I don't know my dad."

Angel turned around to face her fully. "Where do you live?"

"Here and there." Buffy shrugged. "For a while I lived above a club I used to work at but I was kicked out."

"Why?"

Buffy looked down at the ground and whispered. "Because I wouldn't… do sexual favors for the customers."

Pausing for a second, Angel looked her over then nodded his head towards the exit of the alley way. "Come on." He started walking but stopped and turned back to her. "Sorry about your friend." He pointed at the girl on the ground.

Buffy looked back at the girl, sadly. "She wasn't my friend, I don't even know who she was. The only friends I have I got separated from when the vampires attacked us."

"Sorry." Angel murmured. "I can help you find them again."

"Thanks." She whispered.

Angel glanced over at her as they walked. "Where did you get the stake from?"

"Said lost friends."

0o0o0

Angel drove Buffy to Cordelia's apartment, he was supposed to meet his friends there and they would get mad if he once again didn't show up. He glanced over at Buffy every once in a while during the drive, she didn't say a word to him, not even a 'I like your car' comment that most of the girls said to him. She never said a word. Once they got to Cordelia's apartment Angel got out of his black convertible, he looked over to Buffy when she didn't get out. "Come on."

Buffy looked to the nice building. "Where are we?"

"It's kind of our make-shift office right now." Angel shrugged. "Our actual office got blown up."

"Blown up? Your office got blown up?!" Buffy asked shocked. "You sound like that is an everyday thing, 'oh, you know my office got blown up again today, it's cool though'."

Angel chuckled. " Strange things happen, everyone is okay now and that is what matters."

"Now?" Buffy asked still not getting out of the car. "As in they weren't before?"

"Uh… a few of my people were hospitalized." He said not wanting to tell her any more than that. She didn't need to know that it was his fault because a demon was after a scroll that he had stolen from a high-end Lawyers office that only served demons. Somehow, he didn't think she would want his help if she knew he was at fault when his own people got hurt. "Coming?"

Buffy bit her lip and slowly opened the car door. They made their way to the door and Angel walked in, Buffy slowly stepped in behind him.

"It's about time, you took…" Cordelia trailed off when she saw a blonde behind her boss, she set her coffee mug down on her coffee table motioning to the girl. "We taking in strays now?"

Angel opened his mouth to speak but Gunn came out of the kitchen when he heard Cordelia talking to someone. "What are you doing here, Buff?" Gunn walked up to the blonde, taking hold of her arms gently. "Everything okay? Where are the guys?"

"You two know each other?" Angel asked slightly confused.

"Wait..." Gunn looked to the vampire confused. "You two know each other?"

"We were… attacked." Buffy told the tall African American man. "Rondell told me to run."

Gunn licked his lips nervously. "Was Alonna with you?" Gunn's younger sister Alonna had become instant friends with the blonde as soon as they took her in, there was hardly a moment you would see one without the other.

Buffy shook her head quickly. "No. She stayed behind."

"Why were YOU even out with them?" Gunn sighed but Buffy stayed quiet. "I take it Angel here found you?"

Buffy nodded.

"Thanks man." Gunn nodded to Angel. "My sister would kill me if anything happened to her." He shot a small smile at Buffy then looked back to Angel. "She is a demon magnet, this one."

"Don't mention it." The vampire told his friend. "It's not the first time I have come across her in some demonic trouble, something tells me it won't be the last time." Angel made his way over to Cordelia. "Do you mind if she stays with you for the night?"

"What? I don't even know her!" She looked past Angel at Buffy and Gunn. "She seems friendly with Gunn, why can't she just stay with him?"

"Apparently, she has been but he left her with his crew and I ended up having to save her." Angel reasoned. He turned to look at Buffy and Gunn. "Buffy, how many times in the last week have you been attacked?"

Buffy shrugged. "Every day." She gave him an odd look when he didn't say anything, he just turned back towards the beautiful brunette he has been talking too. She briefly wondered if they were a couple but didn't want to think about it. She hardly knew him and yet she wanted to know everything. She didn't notice it when he saved her from The Tribunal because she had been so afraid for him but tonight, she noticed how beautiful he was, in a manly way of course.

"A demon magnet." Angel repeated Gunn's words to Cordelia. "She could go back with Gunn and be somewhat protected but a demon magnet, come on Cordelia, that just screams US. We need to find out why they are attacking her. I trust Gunn but I don't trust his people."

"Grrr." Cordelia growled. "What is wrong with your place? You want to help her so much, protect her yourself!"

"My place is too small." Angel told her, he really needed to find a bigger place. It was only him living in his apartment and it was a little tight, he couldn't imagine Buffy staying there while they figured things out. "Besides, you owe me. I let you stay at my old apartment while Doyle was finding you this place."

"Okay, so your place is small." She nodded. "What about Wesley?"

Angel and Cordelia both turned to look at their British friend. He was awkward around most people but put him in the same room with a girl who wasn't Cordelia Chase and the unexpected always occurred. "Do you really want to do that to him?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "What about Doyle?"

Angel raised his eye brows at Cordelia and glanced at his best friend, he looked normal enough with his strange pattern shirt and his black hat but once you stepped into his apartment you didn't know where the floor was and there was a strange smell that Angel thought might be old food. "Do you really want to do that to HER?"

Cordelia looked at the short Irish man that she had a slight crush on for unknown reasons to herself. "Your right…. But what if she tries to kill me in my sleep?"

"She's not going to try t… she is the girl from Doyle's vision, she is an innocent." From the look on Cordelia's face she wasn't buying it, they had gotten visions mixed up and ended up helping the bad guy before. "Buffy…" Angel called over his shoulder. She looked up at him from where she was talking to Gunn. "Do you promise not to kill Cordelia in her sleep?"

"What's a Cordelia?"

Angel chuckled. "She won't try to kill you any time… if you could have seen her both times I have showed up to help her then you would know she is more scared than anything. Even if she doesn't seem to be showing it. We help the helpless Cordelia, it's what we do."

"Fine!" Cordelia threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Whatever. But If I die I am going to come back and haunt your ass!"

"Who wants Chinese?" Doyle called pulling out the Chinese menus from the drawer in Cordelia's kitchen.

Gunn smiled at Buffy. "Something I like about these guys, every night after we finish a case we get food."

"Or Angel could make eggs." Cordelia offered. "There is a whole carton in the fridge that are about to go bad."

"Chinese!" Called Gunn, Doyle and Wesley.


	3. There's Something About Buffy

Sassy.B93- Thank you for the review! I appreciate it!

Guest- Thank you! We will find out why Joyce kicked Buffy out, you just have to be patient! Hehe

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Chapter 3: There's Something About Buffy

Buffy woke up early, at first she didn't know where she was. This place was a lot nicer then the places she had been crashing in the last 5 years since her mom had kicked her out. Then she remembered, she got separated from the group when they were attacked by a gang of vampires, Rondell had told her to run the only problem was she didn't know where to run. Every time she went out she was attacked by a vampire, demon or something else covered in some nasty slime. She had only been in LA for two weeks now, she didn't know the area. As she was running she heard a girl scream, she whipped her head back wondering if she could help the girl in some way, when she didn't see anyone she turned around and kept running only to run right into two large vampires. The vampires had dragged her into an ally where she saw a girl laying on the dirty ground near an over flowing dumpster with an even bigger vampire leaning over her. The vampire looked back at Buffy with a smile, showing her his sharp fangs. She didn't want to watch the vampire feed off the girl, she had seen far too much of that in the last few days. One of the two vampires that had dragged her into the alley slammed her against the brick building, she cracked her head pretty hard but at that exact moment she didn't stop to wonder if her head was bleeding. Everything happened so fast after that, she remembered the vampires taunting her and hitting her a few times as she willed herself not to cry. She didn't scream until she saw one of them lean into her neck. That was when Angel came running into the ally, saving her again. He grabbed the vampire by the hair just as he was about to sink his teeth into her neck. She didn't even realize he had made contact with her neck until Angel had mentioned it. She was just so happy to see Angel again she didn't feel the vampire's teeth on her. Angel wasn't exactly happy to see her though, he made that very clear.

Buffy didn't understand why she was still here, sitting on Angel's girlfriends couch. How they had acted last night she was pretty sure they were a couple. They were together all night, sitting closely together, talking and laughing. Angel had even gone out for a little while after the food had gotten delivered and the girl she now knew was Cordelia went with him. Right before they walked out the door they both turned towards their three male friends and said "Watch her!" Since Buffy was the only 'her' there, she was sure they meant her.

Buffy sighed and glanced around, why didn't she just leave? No demon would attack her in the middle of the day, she looked out the window "Okay, not the middle of the day." She whispered to herself as she watched the sun about to rise. She must have only gotten a few hours of sleep. When she had fallen asleep Gunn, Wesley and Doyle were still there. Looking around the now quiet apartment she was sure no one else was there. Sighing again she brought her knees up to her chest and laid her chin on her knees, she felt like something was missing, like something wasn't right. It was the same feeling she got after Angel told her to get lost when he saved her from The Tribunal and again last night when he left with Cordelia. That feeling had to have something to do with Angel but she didn't know why. She was attracted to him but not only his looks, she felt like she needed to be with him, near him. Everything was so weird now! She went from a simple boring life to… whatever the hell her life was now. Running from vampires and demons, trying not to get dead.

Buffy looked in the direction of the kitchen when she heard a click and it sounded like the coffee maker kicked on. Her eyes widened when she saw the refrigerator door open. She closed her eyes tightly not believing what she was seeing, she shook her head, it was all in her imagination. She heard what sounded like a glass being put on the end table next to her, she opened her eyes to see a cup of coffee.

0o0o0

A little after noon Buffy was still sitting on the couch, she should have left but the thought of not seeing Angel left her with this sinking feeling in her stomach. She hadn't heard a peep all morning except for her little hallucination, she was beginning to think they really did leave her. She turned her head towards a door at the end of the hall when she thought she heard a noise. Slowly getting up, she tip toed closer to the door.

When she was almost to the door it swung open quickly, revealing a well-rested Cordelia in black lounge pants, a dark green tank top and her long dark hair in a high pony tail. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Noth… nothing." Buffy shook her head quickly. "I just… didn't know anyone else was here."

"This is my apartment!" Cordelia shot at her. "Why the hell wouldn't I be here?"

Buffy shrugged. After a second of silence Buffy leaned slightly to the left, trying to catch a glimpse of the room. "Where is Angel?"

Cordelia raised her perfect eyebrows at the blonde. "And you are looking in there for him, why?"

"Well, I just thought…"

"How about you don't think." Cordelia huffed. "I need coffee."

Cordelia went into the kitchen, Buffy followed her slowly. It didn't seem like Angel's girlfriend liked her very much either. "You helped yourself to coffee? See, we are going to have a problem here. Coffee is a sacred item in my house and you tainted it." Cordelia got a cup out of the cabinet, not bothering to shut the door.

"No.. I…"

"AND you made breakfast too?" Cordelia cut her off as she poured a cup of coffee, she took a sip and set her cup down. "I guess that could be justified, I mean it is noon after all."

"I didn't though!" Buffy said with wide eyes, Cordelia's tone was softer now. "I didn't touch anything!"

"You didn't?" Cordelia asked her, narrowing her eyes. "Are you a religious woman, Buffy?"

"Um.." Buffy didn't know what to say to that. "I… not really, I don't know. I went to church when I was younger."

Cordelia gave her a small smile. "Honest to god you didn't make the coffee, the eggs or the toast?"

"Honest!"

"Dennis must like you." She looked the blonde up and down.

Buffy's brow creased. "Dennis?"

"Oh, did no one tell you?" Cordelia sipped her coffee again. "Dennis is a ghost."

Suddenly the cabinet door slammed shut on its own. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you rather I call you something else?" She said sarcastically as she looked at the cabinet door, then turned to Buffy. "He came with the apartment, he's harmless."

"Sooo…" Buffy trailed off, her eyes moving from the cabinet door to Cordelia. "Shaken or stirred, however you serve it, he's Casper….?"

"Oh, I like you." The Brunette smiled as she took another sip of coffee.

"That is what Angel said before he kicked me in the ass."

Cordelia gave the blonde an odd look. "Angel kicked you in the ass?"

"Well… metaphorically speaking…" The blonde bit her lip. "He pretty much told me to get lost, which is how I met Gunn."

Cordelia walked over to the fridge pulling out a container of fruit. "How did you meet Gunn?"

"After I left Angel that night I was attacked by this green demon." Buffy shook her head. "Totally creepy looking. I don't think it had a nose!"

"Demons like breath out of their heads or the butts or something." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Have you noticed how many demons are green? What is with that?"

Buffy shook her head. "If you would have told me a month ago that demons were real I would have laughed."

"So, you haven't seen many demons, then?" Cordelia asked

Buffy shook her head. "Only the ones that have attacked me."

"Weird. I have been dealing with them since I was in high school. More coffee?" Cordelia asked pouring the blonde some before she answered. "So, Angel really gave you your marching papers? That isn't like him. Normally he wants to make sure everyone is okay and safe."

"Wow, he must really hate me then." Buffy let out a soft nervous chuckle.

"I will ask him what was up with that." Cordelia shrugged as she walked into her living room. "Oh, and to answer your question from earlier, Angel isn't here… daylight and all, he should be here at sundown to talk to you."

Buffy sat down on the couch where she had slept while Cordelia took the large white chair across from her. "Talk to me?"

"Yeah." Cordelia nodded. "He wants to find out why all these attacks are happening. Oh, and sorry about earlier. I'm just not me without my coffee."

"That's okay." Buffy gave her a small smile.

0o0o0

Angel walked into Cordelia's apartment after sunset, he shut the door and turned around to see his whole team and Buffy looking at him. "What?" He shrugged. "I thought we were meeting at sunset."

"We did," Cordelia crossed her arms.

Doyle placed his hand on Cordelia's arm. "Down girl, he isn't that late."

"He is always late!" She huffed. "If it isn't one blonde…" she motioned to Buffy next to her. "then it's another!"

Buffy looked from Cordelia to Angel and back to Cordelia. "Does he only help blondes?"

"No." Wesley let out a nervous laugh. "We help everyone who needs help…"

"He has a blonde whore…" Cordelia spat. ".. he just can't seem to live without."

"I'm sorry." Buffy whispered to the brunette, they had talked the whole afternoon and Cordelia actually wasn't that bad… after she had her coffee.

"Can we just get on with this?" Angel walked over to the chair in Cordelia's living room.

"Not so fast!" Cordelia glared at him. "We need to talk!"

"Not really." Angel mumbled and turned to Buffy. "So, when did these attacks start?"

"Um…" Buffy looked to Cordelia who was still glaring at Angel, she didn't want to upset Cordelia. If Cordelia wanted to talk to Angel she didn't want to start answering his questions. When Cordelia didn't say anything, she looked back to Angel. "You mean the actual getting attacked or the whole Tribunal thing?"

"The attacks." Angel clarified. "The Tribunal trial is over… unless you think they are somehow connected which I don't think they are. The Tribunal doesn't work like that. Their guy lost the fight, it's over."

"Oh." Buffy whispered. "Um… the first attack was right after The Tribunal."

Angel gave her a look. "How long after?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't really have a watch but it couldn't have been more than ten minutes."

"Wait." Angel held up his hand for her to stop. "You mean to tell me TEN MINUTES after you left me, you were attacked?"

Buffy nodded.

"Demon magnet." Gunn commented. "That is when I ran into her."

"What did this demon look like?" Wesley jumped in. "If you don't mind me asking."

Angel looked to Cordelia, she didn't look like she was giving up on wanting to talk to him. "Yeah, why don't you give a description to Doyle, here." Angel pointed at his dark haired best friend. "He will sketch it up for you."

"Me? Why me?" Doyle asked. "Your better with da drawin' thing!"

"Just do it!" Angel said through gritted teeth.

"Fine." Doyle huffed going to grab the sketch pad off the kitchen counter. "But it's gonna look like Gunn drew it."

"Hey!" Gunn protested.

Angel sighed. "You drew Buffy just fine when you had a vision about her."

"Well, yeah." Doyle smiled as he sat next to Buffy setting the pad on the end table. "She's a good subject."

Angel picked the pad back up and tossed it at Doyle. "Shut up."

Cordelia nodded her head towards the kitchen and Angel followed her. "What did you need to talk to me about so badly?"

"Did you seriously tell Buffy to get lost after you helped her with The Tribunal?"

"No." Angel said sounding nervous.

"Really?" The brunette crossed her arms over her chest. "She said you did."

"Okay." He shrugged. "I guess I could have been a little nicer."

"A little? Angel, we ALWAYS make sure they are okay after they go through an ordeal like that!"

Shooting her a confused look he glanced around the kitchen. "I was the one who was stabbed and then came back here to be subjected to your abuse. Which is happening again. All you ever do is bitch and moan now Cordelia, you need to get over whatever the hell is going on."

"I just worry about you, okay?" Cordelia's expression softened. "After everything that has happened to us I just want our family to be safe… no matter how screwed up we are."

"You act like an over protective mother hen."

"Hey!" She smiled, then turned slightly more serious but the mood was lighter. "So, why did you just leave Buffy like that?"

"I don't know…" Angel turned to look at Buffy who was pointing at the tablet Doyle was drawing on. "I just had this feeling and I couldn't shake it… it wasn't the stab wound either. It was something about HER."

"Really?" Cordelia glanced at Buffy and back at Angel. "What?"

"I really don't know." Angel said not taking his eyes off of her. "The feeling hasn't gone away though. It lessens when she isn't around but it's still there."

"How do you know it is her then?"

"It's her." Angel whispered. "I just don't know anything else."

"Yup!" Buffy announced with a proud smile. "That's it."

Angel and Cordelia made their way back over to the living room.

Gunn leaned over the couch to get a better look and nodded. "Yup, that was it."

"I have never seen that demon before." Wesley noted, fixing his glasses.

"Neither have I." Doyle told them.

"Eww." Cordelia squished up her face. "Your right, Buffy. Creepy."

"I have." Angel took the note pad from Doyle, Buffy's eyes following it as he brought it up to his face. "Well, I have never seen it in person but I have heard stories about it…"

"Oh, but Buffy said it was green." Cordelia offered.

"Sorry I didn't have my colored pencils with me." Doyle commented.

"Green like Lorne or green like the Mahra Demon?" Wesley wondered.

Buffy shrugged. "Is that important?" What the hell was a Mahra Demon?

Gunn walked up to Angel side, looking over at the sketch. "What is it, man?"

"Fear Gortach." He whispered still looking at the picture of the tall skeleton like man. "Or Man of Hunger. They used to tell tales of the Man of Hunger during The Great Irish Famine."

Buffy glanced up at him. "How old are you?"

He looked down at the blonde, slightly offended. "You said it was green?"

Buffy nodded.

"I have never heard of him being green."

"It was kind of a muddy green." Buffy scrunched up her face wondering if that helped any. "Kind of like one of those thingys from Star Wars. Not Yoda green but like a Jabadahut green."

"What?" Angel and Wesley said together.

Cordelia made a face. Buffy was into Star Wars? Hopefully Buffy had a good fashion sense so she could try her hardest to over-look that trauma that was a Star Wars fan. "Really, Star Wars?"

"Jabadahut isn't green." Doyle jumped in. "He's more like a brownish color."

Buffy wrinkled up her nose. "He is green to me."

"Maybe a tint of green." Doyle shrugged but then shook his head. "but the tint is so small that you can't even see it."

"I don't care what color the slug is." Gunn interrupted. "Jabadahut look like he ate this Fear Gotcha for a snack."

"Fear Gortach" Angel corrected him.

"Okay, fess up Buffy." Cordelia smiled. "This thing is like a starving freak… so maybe he like goes after people who are hungry. Were you famished when you were attacked?"

"Well, I hadn't eaten in a few days" She shrugged "but I wouldn't say famished."

"A few…" Cordelia turned to Angel with a glare and whispered. "We help the helpless."

"Sorry to interrupt but…" Doyle turned to Buffy. "There is something about you…"

Angel took a step closer to Doyle where he was sitting on the couch next to Buffy. "You feel it too?"

"It must be that draw the demons are feeling." Wesley offered.

"You…" Buffy looked at him with wide eyes. "You're a demon?"

"Half Brachon. On my father's side."

"I… I don't know what that is." Buffy stuttered nervously.

"I can't imagine what it is like for you…" Doyle looked to Angel. "I don't have a violent bone in my body and I can just feel this urge to… I don't know." He quickly looked to a scared Buffy. "I wouldn't though! I have never hurt a human! And I never will!" He turned back to Angel. "But you… you don't have a soul, you must want to kill her.

"No…" Angel said softly, thinking for a second. "I don't want to hurt her. It's something else."

"Is everyone in this town a demon?" Buffy asked.

Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia all shook their head.

"Most in LA are though…." Doyle trailed off.

"Right, and all demons want to kill or hurt me so…" Buffy got up and headed for the door. "I think it's best if I just got the hell outta dodge."

"Wait!" Angel shouted. "You can't go out there! LA is crawling with vampires and demons, if they all want to kill you then you aren't safe. You have to stay."

"Oh, right because I am so much safer here!" Buffy shouted. "You two are demons!" She pointed to Angel and Doyle.

"Buffy." Angel slowly took a step towards her. "You said yourself, if I wanted to hurt you I would have already done it. I don't want to hurt you, I don't have the same feeling that the rest of them do and" he glanced back at Doyle then to Buffy. "Brachon Demons aren't violent. You're safe here."

"Yeah." Doyle nodded. "The worst I might do is flick you in the ear."

"Hey man!" Gunn shouted pointing at Doyle. "That shit hurts!"

"So, what is this draw you have to Buffy, Angel?" Wesley asked cleaning his glasses. "You said the first time you encountered her you were drawn to her."

"I… I don't know." Angel shook his head, then looked to Buffy. "Where you at a magic shop that night? And a demon fight club… and Caritas?"

Buffy nodded. "How did you…"

"What were you doing there?" He asked her.

"Looking for a Champion…" She whispered.

Angel narrowed his eyes at her. "How did you make it out alive? Going to a demon fight club, if all demons wanted you dead you would have been dead."

"They… didn't." Buffy said confused. "Before the trial none of the demons were trying to kill me."

"Could it have something to do with The Tribunal then after all?" Cordelia asked.

Angel shook his head. "That isn't their style. It's something else."

"What?" Cordelia asked. She wanted to find out what was going on with Buffy, she actually liked her and she was the only girl she could hang out with, Buffy already knew about demons so she could talk about work with her and she really needed a shopping buddy!

"I don't know." Angel shrugged, he turned back to Buffy. "Why don't you go with Wesley, he can help you find out the rest of the demons who attacked you. Maybe there is a connection."

"I lost most of my collection in the explosion" Wesley motioned for Buffy to follow him to the bookshelf. "but my uncle sent me copies of most of them. We should be able to find the demons in these."

0o0o0

An hour later Buffy was still sitting at Cordelia's kitchen table with Wesley, all his books scattered on the table. Buffy picked up a book of spells and looked at the outside of it, flipping it over to look at the back but it looked the same as the front. She pursed her lips as Wesley wrote on a tablet of paper on the table.

"So how does this work exactly?" Buffy asked opening the book. "Do these spells actually work? I mean you can't just say" her eyes searched for a word she could pronounce. "Librum Incendere and…" Buffy jerked back in shock when the page burst into flames, she slammed the book shut as quickly as she could to put the fire out.

Wesley looked shocked. "Buffy, don't speak Latin in front of the books."

"Okay." She mumbled in a childish way as Wesley slowly took the book from her.

The flamed caught Angel's eye and he looked at her full of concern. There was something going on or maybe Buffy wasn't being completely honest with them. He made his way over to them, standing behind them he looked over at the paper. "How is it going?"

"Good." Buffy chirped cheerfully. There was just something about Angel that put her in a better mood even though he didn't seem to like her very much at times. He was so hot and cold.

Angel looked at the list. "Buffy, you said you were attacked everyday… it has only been four days. There are more than four demons on this list."

"You didn't ask how many times a day … er night, I was attacked."

"Chaos Demon, Codger, Furry, Prio Motu, Vahrall, Fyarl, Du…. This is a Child Eater." Angel said looking down at Buffy. "How old are you?"

"Twenty." Buffy pouted.

"Not a child." Angel said then quietly added "just acts like one."

Buffy heard what he said and didn't look impressed.

"Where are we on finding anything out?" Doyle asked.

"It's all over the place. There isn't a single thing these demons have in common." Angel pointed to the list. "Unless they all went to Caritas. Did you pick a bad song when you sang there?"

Buffy pouted again.

"What'd song you sing?" Gunn asked her with a smile.

"Only the Good Die Young."

"Billy Joel?" Angel raised his eyebrows. "I would have pegged you for a Britney Spears or… maybe a Miley Cyrus."

"Are you knockin' Britney Spears?" Buffy smiled at the vampire, teasingly.

Angel looked at her oddly then shook his head. "No. I'm not, I like to get 'In The Zone' as much as the next vampire." He gave her a small smile, suddenly happy that Cordelia read all those trashy celebrity magazines around him. He wouldn't know anything current if it weren't for Cordelia.


	4. Date Night

Guest- Thank you! The rest of the Scooby gang might be making an appearance, you will have to wait and see.

Allison117- I'm so happy that you love it! I was apprehensive about posting this story since it was my first story with demons and fight scenes, so it's really encouraging that you guys like it. After I post this one I will start editing the next chapter and then get started on chapter 6 of I'm All In. Not sure when I will be able to post it, hopefully I will be done with chapter 6 by tomorrow.

Chapter 4: Date Night

Buffy looked around Cordelia's apartment, it had been two days since she came to stay here and it was fun… when people were around. Angel had said she couldn't go out until they found out what was causing all the vampires and demons to attack her and put an end to it. She had gone out with Cordelia shopping during the day and that was the most Angel would allow. She wondered about Angel. Sometimes he was nice to her, well he wouldn't say a rude comment or give her a dirty look. What was with the dirty looks? He called her childish, she didn't glare at people from across the room or refuse to sit next to them like someone who shall remain nameless did to her. Angel was a puzzle to her, no a puzzle wasn't the right word, he was more like a Rubik's Cube… those were pretty much unsolvable, right?

Buffy looked down at the hem of her tank top that Cordelia had let her have, she watched it move up slightly. "Dennis." She said in a warning voice. The ghost had been making passes at her since the night before, touching her arm or tugging at her clothes.

Buffy looked to the closed door of the extra room that Cordelia said had Angel Investigations files in it so they weren't all over her house. Angel, Wesley and Doyle were always writing stuff down about her, she wondered what they could be writing. She looked around the apartment, no one was there… well other than Phantom Dennis. Slowly she took one step towards the room, Dennis must have known what she was thinking, she heard the click of a door unlatching and it slowly opened for her to enter. "Thanks Dennis, I won't take anything. Promise."

She walked into the room and went straight for the filing cabinet she had watched Cordelia put papers in, she opened the drawer and cringed when it made a loud noise, she looked behind her to make sure she was still alone. Thumbing through the files she found the S section but she couldn't find her file. She picked up a file and made a face, why was Lockley filed under S? Quickly thumbing through the rest of the files she saw that none of them where in the correct order. She opened the second drawer and saw the same in that one. Pursing her lips for a moment, she paused then started to pull all the files out of the drawers.

0o0o0

She looked behind her when she thought she heard someone at the door, she quickly put a file back in the cabinet and closed it. "Your case is being put on the back burner." She heard Cordelia call from the living room. Buffy quietly walked out of the room, shutting the door. "At least for right now."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked shaking her hair out of her face as she walked into the living room.

"Angel met with this Melissa girl… Melissa Burns, I think he said… or something but anyway." Cordelia walked into the kitchen, setting down a bag of food for Buffy that oddly enough, Angel had given to her. "It's like this stalking case. This girl went and got work done from the plastic surgeon and now he is all stalking her and telling her how much he loves her." Cordelia pointed to the bag on the counter. "That's for you. I swear, it's a normal case, don't you think a vampire Detective should be working on something I don't know… supernatural?"

"Oh. Thanks. I don't know what kinds of cases you guys normally take." Buffy shrugged opening the brown paper bag. "but he is a doctor and he loves her, I say suck it up and go out with him."

"Don't thank me, Angel got it for you." Cordelia smiled when she saw the shocked look on the blonde's face. "Don't looked to surprise, he isn't always a bad guy. It just seems like recently he is in a funk of some kind. And by the way, I like your way of thinking, doctors are loaded, it's hard enough to find a poor guy who loves you, let alone a rich one!"

Buffy laughed. "I totally know what you mean."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Cordelia asked, getting a cup down from the cupboard.

Buffy shook her head. "I don't date… like ever."

"Why?" Cordelia laughed, opening the fridge she grabbed a pitcher of Sweet Tea. "Dating isn't THAT bad."

"For me it is!" Buffy laughed. "I tried it in High School the guy turned out to be… not what I thought."

"At least he wasn't a demon!" Cordelia laughed. "You haven't tried to date since high school?"

"It… kind of turned me off from dating." Buffy looked scared.

Cordelia raised her eyebrows at the blonde and took a sip of her Tea. "Just once. That isn't really giving it a chance, don't you think?"

"I went out on one date with the guy, had sex with him and never heard from him again." The blonde said plainly.

"OUCH! Okay, that sucks." Cordelia placed her cup on the counter as Buffy ate a fry. Cordelia loved the diner that Angel got Buffy's food from but she hardly ate from there. It was to fatty and she needed to keep in shape for when Hollywood came knocking. "That happened to me once, I ended up 9 months pregnant with demon spawn in the morning."

Buffy choked on her fry, looking around the apartment like she expected them to pop out at any time, she turned back to Cordelia. "Where are they now?"

"Dead, thank God!" The brunette exclaimed. "Angel killed the demon and when he died so did his children, I wasn't the only one. There were like twelve other girls there too."

"All pregnant?!" Buffy's eye got large. "And you still had the strength to date?"

"Yeah." Cordelia laughed. "It doesn't happen as much as I wou…" The phone ringing cut her off, she looked towards her landline phone. "It's Angel." She answered the phone and pushed the speaker phone button. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey Cor, I was just calling to check on Bu…" Angel paused. "Am I on speaker? You know I hate that speaker phone crap."

Cordelia laughed. "Yeah, you are. Deal with it. So why were you calling?" Cordelia tried to hide her laughter which caused Buffy to start to giggle quietly.

Angel sighed. "I was just checking to see how Buffy was doing and hopefully you explained to her about the new case we are working on."

"We are dropping her case to work on a case that will bring in actual money." Cordelia shrugged even though Angel couldn't see her. "She gets it."

"We aren't dropping her case!" Angel raised his voice slightly. "We are still going to find out what is going on, we just have to think it through. Hopefully it doesn't take too long."

"Yeah, because it is SUCH a hassle having her here." Cordelia smiled at Buffy.

"Just remember, you're doing this because you got peanut butter on my sheets and you put wet towels on my leather chair." He reminded her.

"No." Cordelia said seriously. "I am doing this because Buffy is awesome and I love having her here and as for your sheets and leather chair, all of your stuff got blown up anyway."

Buffy winced playfully and giggled. "I guess you need to get some new motivation."

"She's there?!" Angel shouted, embarrassed that he had been talking like she wasn't there. At least he didn't say anything he would have regretted.

"Where else would she be, Angel?" Cordelia laughed again. "It's dark, did you forget everything that goes bump in the night wants her dead?"

"No… I just…" Angel paused. "Damn it! I hate speaker phones!"

Cordelia looked up, wondering if he was going to say anything else. When she didn't hear anything, she looked to Buffy and then down to the phone. "Did he seriously hang up?"

"Was it me?" Buffy asked.

"No." Cordelia shook her head. "He really does hate being on speaker phone. I just do it to annoy him."

"You two are so cute."

Cordelia gave Buffy an odd look. "Okay…"

0o0o0

"Hey!" Buffy greeted Angel, Wesley and Doyle as they came in the door. "Where is Cordelia?"

"She will be here in a few." Doyle nodded. "She hung back with Gunn, she is doing the mother hen thing again."

"Oh." Buffy nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. In the past 5 days, she had both witnessed Cordelia's protective side and received it herself. Spending so much time with Cordelia had taught her a lot of things, like Cordelia used to be a rich girl but since she left her family back in her small hometown of Sunnydale, she made a new family by choice in Los Angeles when she met Angel, Doyle and Wesley and the most important thing: She wasn't dating Angel. Cordelia seemed almost offended that Buffy would think she would be with Angel. "She making sure he got home okay?"

Wesley nodded as he took the Melissa Burns case file out of his brief case. "Yes, indeed."

Angel held out his hand for the file. "I will throw it in there."

Wesley handed Angel the file and he made his way into the file room at the end of the hall. "You guys better get going if you don't want to be late."

"Late for what?" Buffy asked sitting Indian style on the couch.

Doyle smiled. "We have dates… but don't you worry Buffy, if you want to go on a date, I would be more than happy to take you."

"No thanks, I'm good." Buffy giggled. She really liked Doyle but only as a friend, she was still unsure about dating as it was. "You have a date Wes?"

"Yes well, I wouldn't really call it a date." Wesley looked around nervously. "…More of a meeting of two intelligent people."

"He's meeting up with some brain from a case we worked a few weeks back." Doyle offered. "Delia's got a date too, it was a last-minute thing, just asked her tonight."

"Oh!" Buffy sat up straighter wanting details. "Was it the doctor?"

"Doctor?" Wesley asked. "Are you referring to Dr. Meltzer who was stalking Ms. Burns?"

Buffy nodded. "He's a doctor." Doctors had money, which Cordelia liked.

Doyle shook his head. "It's a 'doctor' but not that one… this guy's name is Ben or something."

"Oh, okay." Buffy shrugged. "Sounds cute."

"Sounds cute?" Angel asked stopping half way down the hallway. "How does he sound cute?"

"Ben is a cute name." Buffy shrugged again. "What about you, Doyle? Who are you going out with?"

"This cute little number I met the other day." Doyle smiled.

"A stripper." Angel called over his shoulder as he walked into the room. He opened the file cabinet ready to just stick the file anywhere when he paused and closed the cabinet, he opened the next drawer, closing that one too and moved on to the next drawer. "What the hell happened in there?" Angel asked walking out of the room.

"What?" Cordelia asked walking in the door with a few bags.

"I just went in to file this." Angel held up the folder. "and I could actually tell where it belongs."

"What?" Cordelia asked again. "Dennis, are you screwing with my system?"

"Oh, sorry." Buffy spoke up. "I kind of got bored and re-filed them."

"You did that?" Angel asked, he looked over his shoulder to the room then back at Buffy. "Could you keep it like that?"

"Are you offering Buffy a job?" Cordelia smiled.

Angel shrugged. "Maybe."

Cordelia put her hand on Buffy's shoulder and leaned down closer to her. "Welcome to the family!" She patted Buffy's shoulder. "Now come help me get ready for my date! This guy is SO cute, I am going to need your opinion on this new dress I got." Buffy got up and followed Cordelia to her bedroom. "Normally I would have called to tell you I have a date but he literally JUST asked me and I had to go get a new outfit, there was just no time! Next time you are going to have to go shopping with me!"

0o0o0

Angel set the open book he was reading in his lap and shifted through some books laid out on the coffee table as Buffy watched him. This was the first time he actually sat next to her and he hadn't glared at her all night! "Why don't you have a date?"

"I do." Angel said looking down at one of Wesley's old books that his uncle sent.

"Oh." Buffy looked a little disappointed. "Shouldn't you be getting ready then?"

Angel glanced at Buffy and held up the book in his hand, keeping it opened to the page he was reading. "My date is with these books, figuring out what is going on with you."

Buffy made a O shape with her mouth. "Do you ever go out on dates? Like… with a girl… or a guy. Whatever you prefer."

"Are you asking me if I am gay?" Angel asked offended. "Why would… is it the hair? Cordelia says my hair is too perfect but I can't tell what it looks like, I can't use a mirror!"

"No!" Buffy shook her head but couldn't stop herself from glancing at his messy hair, it stuck up all over the place but in a perfect kind of way. "I was just wondering…"

"I don't date." Angel said simply. "I tend to stay away from anyone who could be dating material."

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions." He told her looking back down at his book.

"If you don't ask questions, you never learn anything new." Buffy said softly.

Angel looked back up at Buffy and smiled. "That is true…. Let's just say it has something to do with when I was human."

Buffy tilted her head and rested it again her hand on the back of the couch. "What where you like when you were human?"

Angel turned to look at her suspiciously. "Why do you want to know?"

"Call it curiosity." Buffy shrugged.

"You know what curiosity did, don't you?" He said with a smirk.

"Killed the cat." She said with a small smile. "But I'm not a cat."

Angel looked at her for a moment, his smirk now gone. "Let's just say… I wasn't a very good person for a while then something… someone happened to me and changed it all."

"Who?"

Angel remand silent for a few minutes just watching Buffy as she watched him. "A girl." He whispered.

"You fell in love?" She whispered back.

Angel nodded slowly looking down at the floor. "I fell hard."

"What's it like?" Buffy asked, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Was it like in the movies?"

"What's what like?" Angel asked turning to look at her again.

"Falling in love." She whispered.

"You have never been in love?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Love is something everyone should experience in life." He said softly with a small smile. "Once we get all this demon stuff figured out your life will go back to normal and you will be able to have that experience."

"I was normal once." She whispered. "Me and guys just don't mesh well."

"You will get there Buffy." He told her gently. "Sometimes, love is just hard to find. I went through a lot before I found the love of my life."

"You still love her?" She asked, by the tone of his voice she already knew the answer.

Angel nodded. "Until the end of my undead life."

"That's what I want." Buffy looked at the floor beside Angel's feet. "A forever kind of love." Buffy frowned, he was still in love with whoever this girl was.

"You will get that, Buffy." He tilted his head to make eye contact with her, giving her a small smile. "I promise."

"Thanks." Buffy whispered but didn't sound convinced.

After a moment Angel went back to his book, he knew Buffy was still watching him but didn't say anything.

"Angel." She whispered. "I like your hair."

Angel let out a small chuckle but didn't look up from his book.

Sensing that their conversation was over when he didn't say anything she looked out the window to leave him to his research. If it was going to figure out why she was all the sudden on every demon's hit list then she would let him read any books there were instead of talking. That was saying a lot because she really wanted to talk to him, she felt safer when he was around and her whole being calmed when she heard his voice. "What was that?"

"What?" Angel glanced at Buffy, following her eyes to the living room window.

"I..." Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head. "I thought I saw something. I'm sure I imagined it."

"No." Angel set the book down on the table, leaning forward he looked towards the window. "There is something out there. I can smell it."

"Has anyone ever told you the smelling thing is a little creepy?" Buffy whispered as if they were hiding from whatever was out there.

Angel snorted. "Cordelia does, all the time." He stepped closer to the window and looked out it, he thought he saw movement by a bush, looking back at Buffy he gave her a stern look. "Stay."

Buffy nodded.

She watched him go out the door, she slowly took a step closer to it as he shut the door behind him.

Angel walked with his back against the wall of Cordelia's apartment, but stood up straight when he saw a beautiful woman with long black hair in a floor length white dress walking slowly around the house, softly caressing the building as she walked. "Can I help you, Miss?" Angel asked.

"Yes." The woman turned around. "I need help."

Angel took a step closer looking the woman over, she was even more beautiful seeing her face fully. "Are you hurt?"

"No." The woman smiled walking slowly towards Angel. Placing her hand over his un-beating heart she tilted her head. "The vampire's dead heart still loves."

"Excuse me?" Angel asked. Once she had gotten closer to him he could smell the demon on her but it was very faint, instead she smelt of flowers. He didn't understand how that could be.

The woman clutched at his heart and he doubled over in pain. "What the…"

"Most men want woman and wealth." She said in a sweet voice. "But not you vampire, you want forgiveness. For allowing your love to be killed but you will never get it, not from her nor from yourself."

Buffy opened the door to Cordelia's apartment when she didn't hear anything, not even a fight. Maybe it had been her imagination. She stuck her head out the door, looking around for Angel. She gasped when she heard Angel moan in pain, a woman seemed to have a hold of him even though she wasn't touching him at all. The woman drew her hand back, thrusting it forward and Angel went flying backwards. "Angel!" Buffy screamed as she watched him, she whipped her head towards the woman when she heard a crash, the woman was laying on the ground unmoving. Buffy ran over to Angel. "Are you okay?" She asked trying to help him up.

"Get back inside Buffy." He firmly pushed her away from him. "Let me deal with this."

The beautiful woman got to her feet as Angel struggled to get up, for not needing to breath that sure knocked the wind out of him. "You know, I don't like to hit a lady." Angel said walking towards the woman. "But you're not a lady, are you?"

"She has to die, Vampire." She said in a sweet voice. "You can't stop it."

"Yeah?" He swung his fist, hitting her in the right cheek then again in the stomach. The woman doubled over from the force. "Watch me." Angel grabbed her by the head and twisted her neck. He dropped her to the ground when he heard a loud snap. He looked down at her for a moment, she looked so familiar but he just couldn't place her.

Walking back inside he looked from Buffy to the open door with a confused look. "I'll be back."

"Wait… your leaving?" Buffy asked scared. "Who was she?"

Angel grabbed a book from the shelf in Cordelia's living room, flipping through half of it he threw it down on the coffee table in front of Buffy. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Angel grabbed his car keys and walked quickly out the door.

Buffy pouted, she wanted to have a nice night with Angel. Apparently getting to know him more was out of the question. She looked down at the page he had opened the book to and gasped when he saw a picture of the woman who has been outside. "Leanan Sidhe?" She whispered.

0o0o0

An hour later Angel walked back into Cordelia's apartment, slamming the door.

"Did you put the stones on her?" Buffy asked quickly as she rushed towards him.

"Huh?" Angel looked confused but then nodded. "Oh yeah, buried with a cairn of stones. She isn't coming back."

"What did she want?" Buffy asked sitting down, she felt calmer now that Angel was back. "The book said she was some kind of mythical vampire."

"Not a vampire like me." Angel pointed out. "She would give men what they want only to take their lives as payment."

"By leaving them so depressed they would die." Buffy nodded. "Like a happiness sucking vampire."

"You actually read it?" Angel asked then looked around. "Cordelia isn't back yet?"

"I like books." She shrugged. "Um… no, I guess she is still out with Ben."

Angel sighed. "I guess it's a good thing I came back." He started to walk down the hallway. "Vampires aren't allowed in a house without being invited but that thing…" He pointed towards the door. "Could have come in if she wanted to, different demons have different rules. New Buffy rule: you are never to be alone."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?" She teased as he walked further into the apartment. "Where are you going?"

"To get your file." He called back to her.


	5. What is Angel's Deal

Guest- Hopefully you continue to enjoy this story even though Angel was in love before. Thank you for the review!

I went on a crazy editing spree last night and I now have 5 chapters edited and ready to post, I will try to post more often with this story in between working on I'm All In. I am going to try to post the next chapter for Determined by Fate in a couple of hours. I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 5: What is Angel's Deal

Buffy opened the curtain to allow sunlight to come in, she loved how the warmth of the sun felt on her skin. It was a good thing she didn't live in Alaska or England or somewhere that was dark and gloomy. "I would be so depressed if I couldn't have the sun." She smiled to herself. Angel couldn't be in the sun though, it really sucked. She didn't know how old he was but when they discovered the demon Gunn had killed was Fear Gortach, Angel had said they talked of it back in the Great Irish Famine. Wasn't that in the 1840's? That would make him at least 170 years old!

Buffy was torn from her thoughts when the phone started to ring, she walked over to the counter the phone was sitting on and smiled softly when she looked at the caller ID. "Speaking of…" She picked up the phone, happily. "Hey, Angel. Cordy is in the shower." She said into the phone as she leaned over the counter. "If it's really important I could go get her." She glared behind her when she felt pressure on her lower back, she gritted her teeth together and whispered "Dennis."

"No, actually I was calling for you."

She stood up straight. "Is everything okay? Did you find out why I'm a nummy monster treat?" She wondered if he had found anything on her case yet.

Angel scoffed into the phone. "No... I was just…"

"Oh! Do you need me to look into a file?" She asked quickly.

"No, Buffy." Angel said slightly annoyed. "I was g…"

"Need me to look something up for you in Wesley's books?" She cut him off.

"Buffy!" He raised his voice, when she didn't respond he continued. "I was just wondering how you were doing."

"What?" She asked slightly shocked.

Angel chuckled. "Am I not allowed to do that?"

"You're calling for me?" Buffy asked. "Not about a case? Me? In the middle of the day."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

Buffy nodded even though he couldn't see her. "This is like… your sleep time."

"True." Angel paused. "I was just worried about you, that's all."

"Why?" Buffy asked without thinking.

"Well ever since Leanan Sidhe was close to getting into Cordelia's apartment last month… I wanted to make sure there were no other attempts. But sorry for caring."

Buffy turned her head away from the phone, whispering "damn it." She took a deep breath and spoke into the phone again. "Sorry, I was just surprised is all but no, there hasn't been any more attempts since you killed that Silkie thing… wait, I got this… Selkie, last week." Buffy still wasn't sure what to think about the Selkie that had attacked her and Angel, he had told her that from what he knew about them they normally lived in the sea as seals, like that wasn't weird enough, they shed their seal skin and take on a human form.

"Okay, I am out of here." Cordelia called to Buffy as she grabbed her purse.

Buffy looked up at her friend. "Okay, have fun."

"Who is on the phone?" Cordelia mouthed.

"Angel." Buffy mouthed back.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Damn!"

"Where is Cordelia going?" Angel asked.

Buffy smiled at her dark-haired friend. "She has a lunch date."

"Who is going to be there with you?"

"Uhhh…." Buffy chewed on her lip. "Dennis."

"Let me talk to her." Angel growled.

Buffy's eyes got large and she held the phone out to Cordelia who rolled her eyes again, taking the phone from the blonde. "Yeah, Boss."

"Is this lunch date really that important that you have to leave Buffy alone?" He gritted out. "You know I said she can't be alone."

"Yes!" Cordelia shouted. "This is important! Ben is going to be a doctor one day, a real doctor not the crap he is doing now and he needs to know that I am supportive of him and there when HE NEEDS ME… and then when he has even more money from being all successful he can buy me pretty things."

"Can you think of someone else for once?"

"Excuse me?" Cordelia spat. "Before Ben I haven't had a date in months because I am always with you three losers and now that I have Ben you say I can't date? I think you need to reevaluate the situation, mister! You know that? You're jealous!"

"I am not jeal…"

"Oh, you so are!" Cordelia cut him off. "We had a chance to be together and you said you couldn't. It's your own fault that you are single and alone!"

Buffy raised her eyebrows in shock. She should have known there was something there, even if they weren't a couple. They were always bickering and they were way to close for there not to be something.

"I am going on this date, Angel. That's final!" Cordelia shouted. "If you are really worried about Buffy you can just come over here and babysit her yourself."

"You know I can't." Angel said sadly.

"Fine, you know what?" She huffed. "You call one of the guys to come over and stay with her, I will tell Ben I am going to be a little late but someone better get their ass here. FAST." Cordelia slammed the phone down.

"Sorry." Buffy whispered. "I shouldn't have told him."

Cordelia shook her head. "It's fine, he wouldn't have known if he didn't call. He NEVER calls during the day, that is when he sleeps. Why did he call, anyway?"

Buffy shrugged. "He said he wanted to make sure I was okay."

"Really?" The tall brunette asked shocked. "Well, then he better get his own ass here somehow and stay with you."

"What?" Buffy asked confused. "He can't… the sun…"

"I know." Cordelia said as she wrote text on her phone. "but it sounds like he cares about you."

"I don't get it…"

Cordelia pressed send and looked up at Buffy. "Remember that blonde whore I told you about?"

Buffy nodded.

"Her name is Darla, he is like obsessed with her. Every chance he gets he wants to be with her." Cordelia said annoyed. "But… it kind of seems like he likes you. He comes around a lot lately and I know it's not because we are friends."

Buffy shook her head. "The only time he was nice to me was that night you had your first date with Ben… and today on the phone."

"We will see." Cordelia smiled.

Buffy sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "What is Angel's deal anyway?"

Cordelia gasped and smiled. "You are doing the whole get information from a friend play! You totally like him!"

"I wouldn't say like him… I don't think." Buffy shrugged. "I just want to know more about him, he is like this big secret. I mean, the only real thing I know about him is he was in love when he was human and he doesn't want to..."

"Wait." Cordelia cut her off. "What? He told you that?"

Buffy nodded. "Was he not supposed to?"

"I don't know… he never told me about him being in love before." Cordelia paused for a minute. "What did you want to know about him?"

"I don't even know how old he is."

"Oh, that is an easy one." Cordelia shrugged. "286 years old."

"2… 286!?" Buffy stuttered. "Like he was born in the 20's? The 20's that were in the 1700's?

"Actually." Cordelia laughed. "Yeah. He was 26 when he was turned into a vampire so he will forever be 26 years old… looks wise anyway." Cordelia spun around when she heard her front door open. "Wow, that was fast."

"Hey Doyle!" Buffy smiled.

"I was in the area." Doyle smiled at Buffy. "Hey Buffy." He glanced over at Cordelia in her skin tight short black dress. "Don't you have a date to get to?"

"Jeez. You don't have to be so snotty." Cordelia huffed as she walked over to the door. "Later Buffy!"

0o0o0

Buffy looked to the window, she didn't see anything but she felt something.

Doyle looked up from his hand of cards, he was getting used to Buffy's ways. "I'm sure it was nothing." When Buffy didn't turn back around to their Poker game he gave her a knowing look. "Buffy….do you want me to go check?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's Angel." She then turned back to their game.

Doyle looked at her oddly but also went back to the game.

A few minutes later Angel walked through the door.

"How did you know that?" Doyle asked her.

Buffy shrugged. "Did you kill it?"

"Yeah, I…" Angel paused. "How did you…"

Buffy wrinkled up her face in confusion. "I don't know."

"Hold on." He pointed to Buffy then looked to Doyle. "I am going to need your help."

Doyle nodded, following his best friend out the door. Once they were outside Buffy leaned closer to the window, she could hear Doyle saying "No way! Is that what I think it is?"

"If you're thinking it is a Fachen then you would be right." Angel said bending down to get a closer look at the one arm, one legged demon with blue-ish black fur and large horns.

"But that…" Doyle pointed to the demon that Angel had sliced in half at the center. "It's just a myth."

Angel shook his head. "Doesn't look like a myth to me. Come on."

Doyle followed Angel's lead, picking up the demon. "So… how did it attack you?"

"What?"

"You know…" Doyle nodded to the demon they were carrying. "It's got one leg…"

"It kind of… levitated." Angel glanced around to make sure no one was in the area. He propped the demon up on his knee to get his car keys out of his pocket to unlock the trunk. Once he had the trunk open they tossed the demon in on a dark tarp that he had put in there after having to transport so many dead demons.

"Levitated?" Doyle asked surprised. "Well that wasn't in the stories!"

"Stories…" Angel repeated as he slammed the trunk shut. He tossed Doyle the keys. "You take care of this, will ya?"

"What?" Doyle asked.

Angel walked inside and looked at Buffy. "What do you know about legendary creatures from Ireland?"

"Nothing." Buffy shrugged. "Why?"

"I can't believe I didn't make the connection soo…" Angel turned to see Doyle in the door way. "What are you still doing here?"

"Well, you can't just leave a guy hanging." Doyle walked further into the house. "I want to know what you found out!"

"Fine.." Angel glanced around. "Where is Cordelia?"

"Still out." Buffy said.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Doyle, call Wesley. Have him meet us here and try to get a hold of Cordelia too." He walked through the apartment to where Buffy's file was.

"Angel!" Buffy ran up to him. "What is it? Do you know why this is happening?"

Angel turned to look at Buffy, she looked scared and relieved at the same time. "I want to run it by Wesley to see what he thinks, then we will try to figure everything out." He smoothed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek. "Don't worry, Little One."

Buffy lifted her hand up to her face, she felt tingly. A small smile spread across her face at the fact that he had called her Little One, the same thing he had called her the night they met.


	6. A Break in the Case

I would have done an update earlier but my niece decided that she wanted to start watching Buffy for the first time and she is determined to finish the first season before she starts school again.

Guest- YES, that makes me so happy! Thank you! I'm also hardcore Buffy and Angel. You will find all that out soon!

Chapter 6: A Break in the Case

Angel sat on Cordelia's couch looking though book after book while Buffy just watched him in silence. Doyle had called Wesley and Gunn who were on their way but Cordelia wasn't answering her phone as usual when she was with Ben. While they were waiting for Wesley and Gunn, Angel told Doyle to get rid of the Fachen in his trunk.

"Okay." Gunn announced as he and Wesley walked in the door. "What is what?"

"Doyle is on his way." Wesley noted.

Once Doyle arrived, Angel tossed Buffy's file down in front of Wesley as soon as he sat at the kitchen table. "Look in there and tell me what you notice about the demons."

"Angel, we have been through the list of demons, time and time again." Wesley looked at the file. "There is absolutely no connection at all."

"Yeah, I know." Angel nodded. "but look at the ones that are written in my hand writing."

Wesley sighed and looked down at the file again. "Oh."

"Yeah." Angel nodded again. "Buffy has been with one of us at all times in the past few months but all the demons that I have killed… Leanan Sidhe, Selkie, Alp-luachra, all of the others and now Fachen. Some of them we thought to be myths… hell most of them, but there is one thing they all have in common. Their stories were told by the Irish."

"I don't…" Buffy looked around the room at all four of the men. "I don't have any connection to them though. I had never even heard of them before."

"But Angel has…" Gunn nodded towards the vampire. "Every single one of them, he knew."

Angel nodded.

"How?" Buffy asked him. "I can't believe I never asked that question before. Why have I never asked that question before?"

"I am Irish." Angel told her. "Born, raised and died in Ireland."

"So..." Buffy pursed her lips. ".. it really is a wrong place wrong time thing! These demons aren't after me then… it's you?"

Angel shook his head. "Leanan Sidhe said SHE has to die. She was talking about you."

"Oh joy." Buffy mumbled.

"What about the other demons?" Wesley asked at the same time as Gunn said "But what about Fear…Gortchan or whatever it was that I took out?"

Angel opened his mouth to speak and pointed at Wesley but then dropped his hand. "I have no idea about the other demons yet, I thought maybe you could shed some light on that." Then turned to Buffy. "Buffy what were you doing when you were attacked by Fear Gortach?"

"It was right after The Tribunal… I was just walking." Buffy shrugged.

"Okay…" Angel nodded, thinking for a moment. "Where were you walking too?"

"I was…" Buffy's brow creased, she lifted her head to look at Angel in the face. "I was going back to you… I was worried and… I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"So, it is you!" Gunn shouted. "These Irish demons anyway."

"There has to be a connect somewhere and we are just missing it." Angel leaned over the books he had been reading. "There has to be a reason why these demons only attack when I am either with or going to Buffy… or she is going to me."

"Okay, so just to recap for the viewers at home…" Doyle paused. "These Irish-folktale are only attacking when you and Buffy are together…"

"Or going to each other." Angel added.

Doyle shook his head. "Don't confuse me."

Angel looked at Doyle confusedly. How could that confuse Doyle?

"Anyway, like I was sayin' they attack when you two are together so that could have something to do with you, Angel… but we still don't know why all the other demons and vampires are attacking her? And Wes is gonna figure that out?"

Angel nodded.

Buffy looked around the room at the four men. "I vote for finding out like… now."

"So do I." Angel nodded. "I don't want to drag this out anymore."

"I would like to figure this out as well." Wesley scanned a book in front of him. "but I think we need more to go on." He looked to Buffy. "Is there anything you have failed to tell us. Anything at all."

Buffy shook her head.

"Buffy." Angel whispered, looking into her eyes. "It could be the smallest thing that you wouldn't even think could matter."

"Do you want me to tell you my whole life story?" Buffy whispered teasingly. "I told you everything, I had never even seen a demon before the whole thing with the Tribunal."

"Okay." Wesley nodded. "Then walk us through it from your first encounter with The Tribunal."

"I already told…" Buffy trailed off when she saw the pointed look Angel was giving her, she took a deep breath. "I had just been fired from the club I had been working at for a whole three days, the apartment went with the job so I was looking for a place to stay. I ended up in this dark alley and I tripped over… something, I landed on this big egg and was covered in grossness then all the sudden those three Tribunal guys show up telling me I need to fight or find a champion to fight for me."

"What took place after they informed you of that?"

Buffy looked over at Wesley and shrugged. "I knew I couldn't do it so I knew I had to find someone… only I didn't, I was new to LA, I didn't know anyone. I ran into this guy named Ken who ran a homeless shelter and he said I had 'the look'…"

"The look?" Angel asked.

Buffy nodded. "Like I had to grow up too fast like most of the kids in LA. He said he was going to help me but all the sudden he was gone."

"He about this high?" Gunn held out his hand beside him.

Angel looked from Gunn to Buffy. "Way to happy to be real?"

Buffy nodded at the men.

"We killed him." Angel said matter a factly. "Sorry. He actually would have enslaved you in his Hell dimension."

"Ouch." Buffy said to herself. "That would have sucked."

Angel gave her a small smile at her comment.

"Continue." Wesley nodded then softly added. "Please."

"Oh right." Buffy nodded. "I pretty much just wondered around LA looking for a place to stay and some food until I remembered the whole Tribunal thing so I went to the magic store to see if they knew of anything that would get me out of it… that guy there was a total weirdo by the way, didn't know anything but someone outside of the store told me to go to that place… The Ring and find a demon because they were the only ones who would stand a chance but everyone there was either really moody or only wanted to watch these demons in the cage. Totally barbaric if you ask me but then I saw this big hairy horned thing walk into a bar and I thought that has got to be a demon, right? So, I followed it and then there I was in Caritas. I met Lorne… well he was just introduced to me as The Host at that point but he told me to sing and he could answer any questions I had. After I sang he just smiled and said not to worry about a thing."

Angel nodded. "He saw me coming."

Buffy looked over at Angel. "Next thing I know The Tribunal was there and then Angel showed up."

"That's it though?" Doyle asked. "Absolutely no demon contact during that time? Nothin'?"

"She already said that, man." Gunn smacked Doyle in the arm.

Buffy shook her head. "Nothing until after the Tribunal."

"None of the attacks happened until after you met Angel?" Wesley asked to clarify.

Buffy nodded.

"So, it is me." Angel looked to Wesley. "But why?"

"We will have to figure that out, there must be a reason why… something connecting the two of you…" Wesley thought for a second. "We also have to figure out why all the other demons are drawn to attack her and you Angel, don't want to harm her even though you are in fact a demon."

Wesley jumped when Buffy let out a surprised yelp, Angel looked towards her wondering what happened. She didn't look impressed. "Dennis! Stop trying to cop a feel!" Buffy looked to the guys embarrassed. "Sorry, he does that all the time."

Angel scowled and looked around the room, he didn't know where Dennis was but he wanted to make sure the ghost knew he was not happy. Angel looked down at his hands, he didn't even know why he wasn't happy. It's not like he and Buffy were anything, they were… friends? They were helping her find out why demons were attacking her and she was working for him now. That was it.

"Doyle, why don't you just have a vision and tell us what's goin' on?" Gunn asked the Irish man.

The dark-haired man glared at Gunn. "That isn't how the visions work. The Powers That Be send me visions when they need someone saved."

"Your just their bitch." Gunn smiled. "What about Lorne then? Can't he read ya and know what is going on?"

Buffy nodded. "I like Lorne, every time he comes over he sings and calls me fun nicknames."

"He calls me pastries." Angel said under his breath.

Buffy heard his comment and giggled. Angel turned to look at her and smiled.

Buffy bit her lip and giggled again when she saw the big smile on Angel's face. She had never seen him smile like that before, he had the most amazing smile!

"Angel…" Wesley looked at him oddly. "Are you alright?"

Angel didn't answer his British friend, he just continued smiling at Buffy.

"Angel, man…" Doyle stepped up placing his hand on Angel's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, cause everyone that is me... is officially freaked out." Gunn raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry." Angel closed his eyes and shook his head before looked to Buffy again. "She just… reminded me of... never mind."

Buffy tilted her head at Angel. Who had she reminded him of? Would he ever smile like that at her again? She really wanted him to.

"Okay." Angel placed his hands on his knees. "We know Buffy gets attacked by Irish Mythical creatures when I am around. So, what do we do about it?"

Gunn scoffed. "Staying away from her might help since she hadn't been attacked by anything else in a few months as long as you aren't here."

"Is this where I say that is because I haven't been out anywhere in those months?" Buffy raised her eyebrows at Gunn. "I am pretty much trapped in this apartment ALL the time, I at least used to go out with Cordelia during the day but since she started dating Ben she is with him. To say I get a little bored is an understatement."

"I could come over and play Poker with you more often." Doyle volunteered. "Maybe add Strip to it."

"Doyle!" Angel growled causing Buffy to jump.

Doyle shrugged. "It was just a suggestion."

"Lorne reading her might not be a bad idea…" Wesley commented.

Angel looked to his British friend. "Do you want me to stay away from her too?"

Buffy shook her head no as Wesley nodded. "It might not be a bad idea, if she isn't attacked then we will know for sure that it is you."

Angel put his face in his hands then looked over to Buffy, he wasn't happy about being told to stay away from her. He couldn't tell if she was upset by it too or not. "Fine. Why not start now?" He got up from his place on the couch, walking briskly out of the apartment slamming the door behind him.

"I don't think he liked that idea." Doyle pointed towards the door.

A/N: Yikes, Angel doesn't like being told to stay away from Buffy. LOL


	7. Hyperion Hotel

Allison117- Thank you for your review, I always love reading them! You will find out in this chapter who or what Buffy reminds him of!

Guest- I love when Angel gets jealous. In the episode Never Kill a Boy on the First Date in Buffy, I loved the look on Angel's face when Buffy was at the Bronze with Owen. He was totally jealous! I love the thought of Cordelia and Doyle together, I wish they had gotten together in the show.

Things are about to get pretty crazy for Buffy in this chapter!

Chapter 7: Hyperion Hotel

Buffy curled up on the couch in her baby pink capri lounge pants and white tank top. It had been three weeks. Three boring, no Angel, demon free weeks. The team hadn't been coming over very often because they were now working out of Angel's small apartment so he wasn't around Buffy. She was bored out of her mind without anyone to talk to most of the time, Dennis was there but it still wasn't the same. She could talk to him but he couldn't say anything back. It wasn't the same as Angel coming over every night and hanging out with her when he didn't have a case to work on. She missed Angel, even if he wasn't always nice to her she liked having him around, there was a calming presence to Angel, if he was nice to her or in one of his moods. Occasionally, she would get the feeling that he was there but he wasn't. It was just her and Cordelia… and Dennis of course, or a lot of the time Cordelia was with her boyfriend, Ben and it was just Buffy and Dennis. For Angel saying she should never be alone, she sure was alone a lot.

A small smile appeared on her face when a cup of water floated its way over beside her to the end table by the couch. "Thanks Dennis." Next came a salad. Buffy laughed, Dennis took good care of her. She couldn't cook, whenever she knew Cordelia would be coming home and would be hungry she would order something or she would ask Dennis to cook. The first few times Cordelia didn't believe Dennis had cooked the food, Dennis never cooked for her! But as soon as Buffy demonstrated her cooking skills for Cordelia she was convinced it was Dennis doing all the cooking. Cordelia had been living there with Dennis for three years and he had never once cooked for her but the first morning Buffy was there he had cooked her breakfast and made her coffee. Now it was an everyday occurrence. Buffy took a sip of her water "I wish you were alive Dennis, you would be the perfect boyfriend… other than the constant groping."

Buffy jumped when she heard a male laugh, looking around the living room not daring to move she didn't see anything. She relaxed when she saw a plate of Pasta now in front of her. "You are going to make me fat Dennis, all this just for lunch?"

She heard another laugh. "Please, you need to put some meat on those bones."

Buffy screamed, tossing her glass of water spilling all over the couch and floor she jumped over the back of the couch. "Who the hell are you?"

The man looked around. "You can see me?"

Buffy nodded slowly with wide eyes.

"You can hear me?"

Buffy nodded again, looking more startled.

The looked down at his hands and began patting his torso and chest. "I… I'm…"

Buffy looked closely at him, she had seen him somewhere before. His dark hair and soulful eyes looked so familiar. Where had she seen him before? It was in a picture Cordelia showed her. She paused before she took a step closer to the back of the couch. "Dennis?"

"I'm alive!" He laughed.

"Oh God." Buffy began to hyperventilate. "Oh God. Oh God." She mumbled, pacing the length of the couch. "What? How?" She looked to the man on the other side of the couch, he was inching his way over to her slowly. She jumped back again, watching him closely before running towards the kitchen counter where the cordless phone sat and dialing the only number she knew by heart. Waiting for a sign that the other line had been picked up, she whispered "Angel… I need you."

0o0o0

Buffy was still pacing around the living room not saying a word, just looking over at the man occasionally, when the apartment door burst open smoke filling the entry way as the door was slammed shut. A dark colored blanket flew to the floor and Angel readjusted his shirt and long duster. "Are you okay?"

"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"You said you needed me." He reminded her then looked over to the shorter dark-haired man in the apartment. "Who's that?"

"I didn't mean right now!" Buffy shouted. "You could have burnt up out there! What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking you needed me!" Angel shouted back and pointed to the man. "Now, who is that?"

"I'm sorry." Buffy whispered throwing her hands over her face before dropping them, she took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have called you in the middle of the day. You were just the first person I thought of…"

"Buffy…" Angel said warningly. "Who is that?"

"Um…" Buffy looked from Angel to the man. "Dennis?"

"Dennis?" Angel asked eyeing the man. "Not Phantom Dennis… another Dennis."

"No." Buffy bit her lip worried. "Phantom Dennis would be the one."

"I'm not a ghost anymore, could you please stop calling me Phantom Dennis?" He asked them. "I'm alive! Buffy, this is a good thing. You said if I was alive I would be the perfect boyfriend."

Angel narrowed his eyes at the blonde woman. "You said that?"

"I… yeah… I think so." She stuttered.

"Buffy, isn't this great?" Dennis smiled. "You got what you wanted."

"How?" Angel asked simply.

Buffy shook her head, tears about to fall down her face. "I don't know." She whispered. "I must have rubbed a Genie lamp that I'm not aware of."

"You would know if you came face to face with a Genie." Angel informed her. "They are tricksters. They make you think you want something just to turn it around on you."

"It wasn't a Genie, Angel." Dennis jumped in. "It was her, it was Buffy."

Buffy whipped her head from Angel to Dennis and back to Angel again. "I'm totally freaking out here!"

Angel looked into Buffy face, seeing tears stream down her face he took a step towards her, pulling her into him tightly. His body relaxing of all the tension he had been feeling. "It's going to be okay, Buffy." He whispered into her hair. He felt her cling to him even tighter, her body relaxing as well, as he held her. "Just tell me exactly what happened, Little One."

Buffy rested her forehead on Angel's chest as she sniffled, refusing to let go of him. After a moment, she turned her head to the left so he could hear her better. "Um…" She took a deep breath still trying to calm down. "He made me lunch like he always does, he was bringing it to me and I said something then I heard him laugh and it freaked me out a little because I looked around and no one was there, he brought me another plate of food and this time I heard him talk then I could see him."

"What exactly did you say?" Angel asked softly.

Buffy took a deep breath. "I don't remember exactly… I think something like… like I wish he were alive and he would be the perfect boyfriend if he didn't grope me."

"Okay." Angel whispered. "I am going to call everyone. Wesley is out picking a few things up that we need for our current case but everyone else should be able to come over."

"Why?" Buffy asked not letting him go. "Can't you just undo it?" She whispered so Dennis couldn't hear her.

Angel leaned his head down to where Buffy was still resting her head on his chest. "I don't know how to do that, Little One. I'm sorry."

0o0o0

Angel hung up Cordelia's phone and listened carefully, Buffy and Dennis where in the kitchen but he couldn't hear any talking going on. If Dennis was her perfect boyfriend there should be talking going on... did that sound jealous? He wasn't jealous. He didn't get jealous, not in a very long time anyway. After a moment, Buffy walked out of the kitchen, straight to Angel and grabbed his sleeve. "Did you eat?"

Buffy shook her head as she still looked towards the kitchen. "I'm not hungry anymore…" She whispered. "He just keeps looking at me, it's creeping me out."

Angel put a protective arm around Buffy pulling her towards him. He smiled a little when he felt her cuddle into him. "Cordelia and Doyle should be here soon. Wesley is still at the magic store getting what we need for our case and Gunn is busy with his sister."

"I miss Alonna." Buffy said with a sad smile. She hated being cooped up in the apartment all day and night, she couldn't even see Gunn's younger sister. "What is your new case? I feel so out of the loop."

"It's not that interesting."

Buffy looked up at him. "I stay in this apartment twenty-four seven, Angel, a rock would amuse me. Tell me about your case?"

Angel stepped away from Buffy, taking her by the hand he guided her to the couch. He sat down and pulled Buffy down next to him. "Back in the 1950's I used to live in a hotel." He told her softly. "It is still standing today but it was closed down in 1979…"

 **THE HYPERION HOTEL, 1952**

Angel sat alone in his dimly light room, no one ever talked to him, they even tried to avoid looking at him. He liked it like that. The less contact he had with humans the better. It wasn't that he thought he would slip up and bite someone, he had more control than that. He just wanted to be alone for the rest of his miserable Vampire life, that is what he deserved. This was his punishment for allowing his love to die. She lost her life and he was cursed with living forever without her, it was unbearable which was exactly why he allowed himself to be. He deserved to be in this hell for not saving her.

He heard the ding of the elevator stopping on his floor, a few moments later he could hear foot steps down the hallway, he looked towards the door hoping they weren't going to stop at his room but he knew they were. It was the bill for the room. He heard someone let out a nervous breath and softly knock on the door, a man whispered "Hello. Bellman. Anybody home? Okay, I guess you've gone out, so…" the man set the small tray with the bill on it on the floor outside the door. Angel slowly got up, the chair making a noise when he shifted his weight. The Bellman's breath became uneven. "I will just leave this, you know, outside your door, you can pick it up when it's, what you call, more convenient." He heard the man's feet move quickly back to the elevator, pushing the button several times, Angel opened his hotel room door to pick up the bill, watching the nervous man as the elevator doors finally closed. Walking back into the room he set the small tray onto the kitchen table, he would pay it later. As soon as the sun set he needed to go out to get himself something to eat.

Walking into The Hyperion with a small paper bag in his hand Angel picked up the News Paper from a table by the door, walking past groups of guests of The Hyperion Hotel, Angel thought he was going to be able to make it to the elevator without the nervous Bellman approaching him but he was wrong. "Uh… no messages for room 217."

Ignoring the man, Angel stepped past him and continued to the elevator. The other people waiting for the elevator saw him coming and stepped aside, allowing him to go in alone, He pushed the button for the second floor and waited, as he stepped out he passed a man dressed in a suit waiting outside one of the room and continued walking to his room. He stopped in front of his door to unlock it when he heard two men coming out of a room down at the end of the hall, an older man stopped the younger man, fixing his jacket and hair for him and smiling. The two men looked towards him, dropping his hands from the other man's hair he stuck his hand out for a handshake. The older man gave Angel a stern look as the younger man walked away. Angel went into his room as the older man went back into his.

Closing the door behind him, he dropped the keys and News Paper on the table pulling a small jar of blood out of the paper bag, setting it on the table. Walking over to the ice bucket on the dresser only to find it empty, he walked back out into the hallway to fill the bucket with ice. He saw a salesman at the end of the hall who was talking to someone he couldn't see, leaning over to see who the man was talking to, he didn't see anyone. Thinking the man was crazy he went back to filling his bucket, he looked down to the other end of the hallway at the man he had walked past when he got off the elevator pounding on a door. The Salesman stopped talking, but Angel heard whispering so he turned towards the end of the hall again only to find the Salesman gone. He turned back to his room ignoring the man in the suit, going inside he locked the door behind him, placing his jar of blood in the ice he paused, someone was in his room. He turned around to see a woman with dark hair in a white floral dress walking out of the bathroom.

"I'll be finished here in just two shakes, sir." The woman said as she walked over to straighten up the sheets on the bed.

"You're not the maid." Angel said flatly with his hand on his hip.

"I… I don't know what you mean." The woman stuttered as she slowly straightened the unmade bed.

"You're not a maid in this hotel. There is no cleaning trolley outside the door. Those sheets are dirty." He stepped closer as she straightened the dirty sheets. "And you're the wrong color."

The woman turned to face him, nervously. "I'm sorry… um.. the door was open and I was just… I... I didn't mean..."

"I've got nothing here for you to steal."

"No." The woman defended. "I wasn't trying to steal from you. Honest. I can explain."

"Not interested. Just go."

"Umm…" The woman stepped closer to him nervously. "I can't."

"I'll help you." Angel grabbed her by the arm pulling her towards the door.

"Umm…" The woman started to panic. "My... my bo… my boyfriend he's kind of the jealous type."

"Maybe you shouldn't go wondering into other men's rooms." He told her as he continued to pull her to the door.

"Wait, please!" She put her hands out to stop him from opening the door. "He can't find me!"

Angel and the woman both looked towards the door when they heard a sound, they saw the lock on the door begin to move. Angel grabbed the woman, pulling her behind the door and opening it. On the other side was the man in the suit down on his knee with a pick lock in his hand.

"Where is she?" The man in the suit asked Angel, the woman let out a nervous breath. "Look pal, this really isn't something you want to get involved in."

"That's true." Angel nodded. "That's why you're going to turn around and go away."

"Sorry. Can't do that partner." The man put his hands in his pants pockets. "Because I know you are hiding her in there."

"I'm not hiding anybody." Angel shook his head.

"No? Then why don't you send her out here. That way I don't have to go in there and get her."

"You're not coming in here." Angel told him.

The man laughed. "You won't mind if I just take a look around." He pushed his jacket to the side to show Angel his gun in its holster.

Angel looked down at the gun then back up at the man, he stepped aside and opened the door for the man to come in. When the man stepped inside the room, Angel slammed the door into the man's face. "Gee, I guess I do mind."

The man groaned in pain as he held his nose then quickly went for his gun.

Angel twisted his arm behind him before he could get his gun, escorting the man down the hallway. The Bellman open the elevator door with a cart full of luggage as Angel shoved the man into the cart. "He's going down."

Without a word, the Bellman pushed the down button as Angel walked back to his room.

The woman stepped out of his room to thank him. "Gosh, that was… Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Judy."

Angel walked past ignoring her and slammed his door behind him.

0o0o0

"She just started cleaning the rooms on this floor when she found him." The Bellman informed the manager as he smacked on some gum in his mouth.

The Manager looked towards the Bellman as they walked out of the elevator. "Did she touch anything?"

"Consuela?" The Bellman asked looking behind them. "Does she ever?"

Walking into a hotel room they saw the Salesman laying on the floor near the bed with a gunshot wound to the head.

"Oh, my goodness!" The Manager exclaimed. "That is the third one in just as many months! Why can't they ever just do it in their own homes for God's sake."

The Bellman stepped up behind the Manager with his hands in his pockets still chomping on a wad of gum. "I should have seen it coming. This guy seemed pretty depressed."

"Really?" The Manager asked. "How could you tell?"

"Kind of cheap, though..." The Bellman continued as if he didn't hear the manager. "The death wishers normally tip better… you know, like they know they aren't taking it with them."

The manager stepped away from the Bellman when he heard a whisper. "Three in three months. They'll shut you down."

"Yes. They will." The manager answered the voice as the Bellman continued talking behind him.

"So." The Bellman stopped rambling on. "Who do you want me to call first? The carpet cleaners or the cops?"

"What?" The manager asked turning towards the Bellman.

"Who do you want me to call first?" He asked again. "Carpet cleaners or the cops?"

"Don't be mad!" The manager exclaimed. "No one is calling anyone. They will shut us down."

The Bellman motioned to the dead Salesman. "What about him?"

"What about him?" The manager asked walking towards the door. "He's dead."

"Well, we can't just leave him here."

"Of course not!" The manager stopped walking to look at the Bellman. "We'll… uh… We'll store him in the meat locker."

"Store him?" The Bellman asked as the Manager left closing the door behind him. "We're gonna store him?"

0o0o0

Judy saw Angel standing outside the observatory parking lot smoking a cigarette as people went into the large white building. She walked down to where he was standing. "World ends in ten minutes."

Angel glanced over his shoulder at her then looked back to the Valley below.

"I saw you over here. I hope you don't mind, I thought I would say hello." She said but didn't get a respond from him. "Hello." Judy let out a small laugh. "Have you seen the show?" She watched him as she took a drag of his cigarette. "Well, you should. It makes whatever problems seem insignificant in comparison, I mean… the entire universe explodes."

"Sounds exciting." Angel remarked taking another drag.

Judy shrugged. "Well, it's air conditioned… and cheaper than going to the pictures." She took a deep breath. "I just had to get out of the hotel after what happened."

"He come back?" Angel asked not looking at her.

"Come back?" Judy asked confused.

"Your boyfriend." He said quietly.

"Oh… no." She shook her head. "I... I mean the guy in 215. You know, he killed himself."

"Yeah. I guess he did." Angel replied looking down at his cigarette.

"Can you image that wall paper being the LAST thing you see before you go?" She shook her head again.

"Maybe it was the wall paper that drove him to it." Angel said dryly.

"Yeah." Judy nodded. "I sort of hate it there. Though, I… I guess it is nicer than some places."

"It's a place." Angel said still looking out into the night.

Judy stepped closer to him, so she was now beside him. "Listen, I.. uh.. I know you didn't want to before but… but you helped me. You did. And I needed to thank you for that."

Angel turned to look at her for the first time and said. "You're going to miss the end of the world."

Judy watched him turn away from her again. "Right." She turned to head back to the Observatory but paused and turned back to him. "I'll see you around." She continued walking.

"Yeah." Angel called after her then turned to watch her walk away.

0o0o0

Angel walked down the hallway to his room, he was about to unlock his door when Judy stuck her head out of her own room a few doors down.

"Hey." Judy called out and nodded her head. "Can you come here for a second?"

Once Angel was in her hotel room she shut the door behind her. "Did you hear?" Judy asked.

"Hear what?" Angel asked as if didn't actually care, and the truth was, he didn't.

Judy pulled out a cigarette. "The guy in 215, it wasn't suicide. He was murdered."

Angel shook his head. "I don't think so."

"No, it's true." She said nervously, getting her lighter out. "Which means there is going to be POLICE and… and questions, and… and I thought that you'd want to know, in case, maybe…" She flicked the lighter causing a small flame to appear but it quickly went out. She let out a short nervous laugh. "I'm not implying that YOU'VE got something to hide but…" she put her cigarette in her mouth.

"Everyone here's got something to hide." Angel said walking towards her.

"Yeah." She said taking her cigarette back out of her mouth. She walked over to the dresser on the other side of the room and picked up a pack of matches. "I just figured that I owed you a heads up, on account of what you did for me before. So…"

"Thanks."

Judy tried to light her cigarette but the match wouldn't light, she tried a few more times but gave up when the match broke. "I… I guess if we left now it would look, I don't know, bad, huh?" She asked not looking at him.

"That all depends." Angel said walking towards her again. "This have anything to do with that PI I tossed out of here?"

Judy turned to Angel. "You knew he wasn't my boyfriend?"

Angel took out his lighter, flicking it for her and she lite her cigarette on it. "I had a hunch."

"I'm pretty sure he works for my former employers, the City Trust Bank. Back in Kansas I was a teller there." Judy went over to the bed and pulled out a tan bag. "I think maybe they want this back."

She opened the bag and Angel looked inside. He scoffed when he saw stacks of hundred-dollar bills.

"I haven't spent any of it." Judy said taking a drag from her cigarette. "I… I can't even bring myself to touch it."

Angel glanced over at her. "Why take it?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I was angry… and I... I guess. I mean, things were going so well! I... I loved this job and I loved this guy. We were going to get married but they found out about me at the bank and so they fired me. And then Peter found out why and he broke it off and I just couldn't go back to where I came from. I just couldn't. So I took this and I... I just ran." Judy walked away from Angel to the other side of the room. She turned back to him waiting for him to say something. "Aren't you gonna ask me why they fired me?"

Angel turned to her uninterested in the question he was about to ask. "Why'd they fire you?"

"Because I'm not what I say I am. I've been passing since I was 15 years old"

Angel looked at her questioningly. "Passing?"

Judy nodded. "For white. My mother was colored, my father… I didn't even know him! My blood isn't pure. It's tainted."

Angel stepped closer to her with a slight smiled. "It's just blood, Judy. It... It's all just blood."

"Nobody believes that!" She exclaimed. "Not even my mother's family. I'm not one thing or the other. I'm nothing."

Angel nodded. "I know what that's like."

Judy got quiet, setting her hands on her stomach. "Yes. Yes, I am. I AM something." She slowly sat down in a chair and looked up at Angel. "I'm a thief!" She gasped. "I've never stolen anything before in my life, you have got to believe me. It's just… god, the things they called me."

"Fear makes people do stupid things."

"It was stupid." Judy nodded. "And I wish I'd never done it."

"I didn't mean you." Angel shook his head stepping closer to where Judy was sitting in the chair. "I meant your former employers. They were afraid. That's why they fired you."

"What am I going to do? I'm trapped!" Judy cried.

Angel shook his head walking over to the bag of money. "You're not trapped."

"I am!" Judy exclaimed getting up from her chair. "Look, if I leave now it'll look to suspicious, but if I stay here and the cops find this…"

"They're not gonna find it." Angel told her. "Cause I'm gonna help you." Angel grabbed Judy by the arm and lead her out of the room with the bag of money in his other hand.

0o0o0

 **Present Day**

"Was that the first time you helped someone?" Buffy asked him, toying with his fingers on the couch. "You didn't really want to help her in the beginning."

"Yeah." Angel nodded. "That was the first time I had helped someone since becoming a vampire."

"Is Judy her?" Buffy asked, when she got an odd look from Angel she continued. "The girl you fell in love with."

Angel shook his head. "No. I… I knew her before I was turned into a vampire." He lifted his other hand to brush her hair out of her face. "You kind of remind me of her sometimes… facial expressions… the way you laugh, things like that."

"Oh…" Buffy whispered looking down at their touching hands. "Is that why you hate me?"

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you, Buffy." He whispered. "It's just… hard for me to be around you sometimes."

"Because I remind you of her?"

"That's… complicated." Angel nodded. "I feel… as if I can't be near you because you remind me of her but at the same time I want to be near you for the same reason. There is also the… draw I have to you, I can't control it and I don't like that.

Buffy sat in silence as Angel watched her, finally she spoke. "So, what does all this have to do with your current case? It was like 50 years ago or something. Did you like become a Private Investigator because of that guy you threw out of your room?"

Angel shook his head and smiled. "I didn't get to that part yet, Little One."

"Oh." Buffy smiled back. "Sorry."

0o0o0

 **THE HYPERION HOTEL 1952**

Angel lead Judy down into the basement. She looked around as they walked down the stairs. "I guess it will be okay down here… it's only for a few days, just until the cops are gone."

"Judy, there are no cops." He said as he walked ahead of her.

"Well, not yet." She said nervously as Angel looked around the basement. "God, I can't go to prison. I just… I can't. Just the thought of being confined, trapped. It would be like death. No… it would be something worse than death, it'd be…"

Angel climbed up sticking the bag of money up on some pipes in the ceiling of the basement.

"It'd be like... like..… being buried alive." Judy rambled.

Angel looked over towards Judy when he heard whispering, he couldn't make out what was being said though. "I want you to go back to your room and stay there." He told her jumping down and taking a few steps further into the basement. "There is something in this Hotel. Something that's making people crazy."

"Hey, do you think… if the money just shows up on the door step of the bank and they saw that I didn't spend any of it they would call off that detective?" She asked nervously. "I could be free of this whole thing."

"Maybe." Angel mumbled only half listening to her, he was trying to focus on that whispering.

"There is a such thing as forgiveness, right?" She asked.

Angel turned to look at her without saying a word. Forgiveness wasn't something he believed in, not anymore.

0o0o0

Angel walked down the hallway to his room, he had stopped at a shop to see a man named Denver who after a little arm twisting had given him the information and supplies he needed to rid The Hyperion Hotel of the demon that was hurting the guest. The hallway was filled with shouting hotel guest. "Stop it! Your hurting me!" He heard Judy cry.

"We are going to do more than hurt you if you don't start telling us everything!" Yelled a woman.

"We know all about you!" Yelled a man.

"The name you registered under is a fake!" The manager shouted. "We have proof!"

Angel slowly walked towards where Judy's voice had come from.

"Who knows what else she had lied about, that little slut!" Screamed another woman.

"I'm sorry!" Judy shouted. "I didn't mean anything!"

"Oh, now you're sorry." Yelled a man. "I thought you didn't have anything to be sorry about."

Angel dropped the Axe and bag of supplies he had gotten from Denver, he quickly pushed his way through the crowd of people to get to Judy.

"Stop lying!" screamed a woman.

"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" Judy screamed. She broke free from the men's grip when she saw Angel, she ran towards him with tears streaming down her face. "It was him!"

Angel stopped in his tracks in the middle of the mob.

"Look in his room!" Judy shouted. "Go ahead, look! He's got blood. He's a monster!"

Angel looked around to see the Bellman with the bag he had set down.

"What kind of maniac are you?" Asked the Private Investigator, with his nose bandaged up, from behind Angel, he turned around to look at the man, the detective hit him in the face with the Axe he had set down, then hit him again in the back. Angel fell to the floor watching Judy as the mob attacked him.

The mob picked him up carrying him down the hallway, the Bellman ran down the stairs excitedly as the Manager shouted. "Come on! Get him up there!" The hotel guests pushed Angel up against the rail above the lobby.

The Bellman laughed. "We got you now! Come on! String him up! String him up!"

A man grabbed a rope hanging in the hotel and the guests wrap it around Angel's neck as the other end was tied to the banister.

Angel looked over to Judy as she softly cried.

"Push him!" The Bellman screamed excitedly. "Push him out! Push him out!"

The Private Investigator and an older man pushed Angel off the rail, he dropped until he reached the end of the rope. Judy screamed and all the guests cheered, suddenly everyone in the hotel went silent. "That's right! Sway, you freak!" the Bellman kept laughing. "You had that comin'!"

Everyone looked up at Angel, his eyes closed as he slowly swayed on the rope. "Good god, what have we done?" The Manager asked.

"What's wrong?" The Bellman asked as everyone walked away. "I don't get it. Come on, where is everyone going?" He looked around then back at Angel, when the manager left he followed.

As soon as the Bellman had left Angel's eyes snapped open, he grabbed the rope above his head and pulled himself up enough to get it off his neck. He dropped to the floor catching himself with his hands, when he looked up he saw a tall gray demon in a long-hooded cape with several tentacles sticking out.

"I don't know about you." The demon laughed. "But I'm stuffed. God, I love people! Don't you?" He laughed again. "They feed me their worse and I kind of serve it right back to them. That fear and prejudice turns to certainty and hate and I take another bite! Mmmm!" He moaned. "What a beautiful, beautiful dance!" The demon moved closer to Angel. "Oh, got your feelings hurt, didn't you? See now that is what happens when you stick your neck out for them, they throw a rope around it."

Angel got up from the floor and started walking towards the door. "And you thought you had made a friend. News flash, you had!" Angel stopped walked but didn't turn around the face the demon. "You reached her, Buddy, restored her faith in people. That is what made her the yummiest morsel of them all. Without you she would have just been another appetizer, but you plumped her up real good. Now she's a meal that's gonna last me a life time." The demon came closer to Angel. "Hey, you know what? This place is full of tortured souls that could really use your help. What do you say?"

"Take them all." Angel said walking out of the hotel, not looking back.

The demon laughed. "Take them all." He repeated Angel's words as he laughed again.

0o0o0

 **Present Day**

Buffy sniffled causing Angel to look up at her. "I'm sorry,"

"Why are you sorry?" Angel asked.

"They killed you." She whispered.

"No." Angel told her with a small smile. "I was already dead, they just didn't know it."

"That doesn't make it better."

"Maybe." Angel nodded. "That demon that was in the hotel… Thesulac, he is still there now. That is our current case."

"So, you're going to kill him?" Buffy asked.

Angel nodded. "I should have killed him years ago."

"I get it." Buffy whispered. "Why you let this Thesulac demon have them. You were going to help them and they turned on you. You were hurting."

"That doesn't give me the right to do what I did." He told her. "I have changed a lot since those days, I give credit to Cordelia, Wesley and Doyle for that."

"No." Buffy said. "I don't believe that. I think you are now who you have always been, you may have had a rough patch but you are still the same man."

"I'm not a man, Buffy."

"Sure, you are." She smiled placing her hand on his cheek. "You aren't like those vampire that tried to kill me. I see good in you, Angel. So much good."

Angel's brow scrunched up as he looked at Buffy. "There you go again."

"What?" She asked, searching his face for an answer.

"Sounding just like her." He whispered.


	8. It's just a Book

Guest- My niece is watching Buffy for the first time and today we watched Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, she loved Angel's reaction to Buffy kissing Owen. It's too funny! I was so sad when Doyle died, I tend to cry when characters from Buffy and Angel die. Ha! Yeah, Dennis could be a real asset!

Chapter 8: It's just a Book

"Why the hell didn't you tell us you were at this Hotel in '52?" Cordelia asked after she stormed into her apartment setting down a picture of The Hyperion Hotel lobby while Angel was a guest there. "And how the hell did you get here in the middle of the day?"

"I didn't think you need to know about me being there because I didn't think it had anything to do with the case and as for how I got here… not very easily."

"I already scolded him for it." Buffy crossed her arms and looked to Angel.

He simply smiled at her.

"So, this thing is…" Doyle started.

"Thesulac Demon." Buffy cut him off. "Also known as a Paranoia Demon. It uses its telepathic abilities to tap into people's fears and insecurities driving them to insanity which leads them to commit acts of violence, murder and even suicide."

"How did she…?" Doyle asked.

Angel smiled again. "I swear, I think she is the only one who listens to me, anyway we have another problem on our hands."

"And that is?" Cordelia asked.

Angel motioned to the kitchen.

Cordelia gasped. "Dennis?"

"Phantom Dennis!" Doyle shouted.

"Careful." Buffy whispered to Doyle. "He doesn't like the whole Phantom thing now that he… you know, isn't one."

"How the hell did this happen?" Cordelia asked shocked.

"Buffy did it!" Dennis accused pointing at Buffy.

"Hey now." Angel said standing up from the couch. "We don't know that for sure."

"Like hell!" Dennis shouted. "I know what happened."

"Let's just wait until Wesley gets back and we can talk about this." Angel looked from Dennis to Buffy.

Buffy nodded as she bit her lip. She had almost forgotten about Dennis while Angel was telling her the story about his past.

0o0o0

Wesley walked into Cordelia's apartment with his arms full of supplies, he shut the door and turned around. "All right then, I got…" He trailed off when he saw everyone sitting silently in the living room. Doyle was sitting in the large arm chair with Cordelia leaning against it beside him, Wesley looked confused as his eyes made their way over to the couch where Angel sat with his arm around Buffy and a dark hair young man sitting on the other end of the couch. He didn't know what surprised him more the fact that Angel had his arm around Buffy as she was leaning into him or the fact that there was someone he didn't know sitting in Cordelia's living room. "What is going on?"

"Buffy was either messing with one of your books or she rubbed a magic lamp." Cordelia said motioning to the blonde. "Cause she brought Dennis back to life."

"Dennis?" Wesley put his supplies on the coffee table, he picked up a book that fell from his arms placing it onto the coffee table. "Phantom Den…" He stopped when he saw the look the man was giving him. "Uh… Dennis Pearson?" Wesley looked to Buffy. "Well, which was it? My books or a magic lamp?"

"How would I get a magic lamp?" Buffy asked motioning around the apartment. "Does Cordelia look like someone who would have an old lamp laying around?"

"Point taken." Wesley agreed, fixing his glasses. He looked behind him when he heard the door open and Gunn walked in.

"K." Gunn clapped his hands together. "What'd I miss?"

Doyle looked at Cordelia when she let out a dramatic sigh, he knew she hated to repeat herself. "Either magic lamp or Wes' books. Buffy brought Dennis back to life."

Gunn raised his eyebrows. "Cool."

"Why cool?" Buffy asked.

"Cause…" Gunn shrugged. "Don't it take like a special person to make it work? I know I can't just say some random words and make shit happen."

"Actually…" Wesley took his glasses off to clean them. "He has a point." Putting his glasses back on he looked down at the book he had bought at the magic store then looked to Buffy. "Are you a witch?"

"No!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Isn't that something she would know?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes. " Wesley nodded. "I suppose so." He thought for a moment longer. "Which book did you say you had?"

"I didn't have a book!" Buffy told him again.

"Yes, you did." Cordelia pointed out. "Every time I come home you are reading a book."

"That isn't Wesley's." Buffy shook her head. "It's mine."

"Where is it?" Cordelia asked her.

Buffy looked around the room at everyone watching her. She didn't want to show them, she never showed anyone. It was her favorite book, she held it very dear and never went anywhere without it. Even when she left home with nothing but the clothes on her back it was in her coat pocket. She slowly got up from her spot next to Angel and walked over to the end table on the other side of him. She opened the drawer and picked up an old looking book, she held it close to her chest. "It isn't a spell book… it's poetry."

Angel eyed the book closely and held his hand out to her. "May I?"

Buffy bit her lip and looked down at her book. She never let anyone else touch it but she trusted Angel. She slowly held it out to him. He took it from her, giving her a small smile.

Opening to the first page, he gasped. "Where did you get this?"

"I… I don't know." Buffy shrugged. "I have always had it, I think maybe my best friend gave it to me."

"Yeah." Gunn nodded towards the book as he walked closer. "She had that when she was with me and my crew."

Angel closed the book quickly before Gunn could look at it. "How long have you had this?"

Buffy shrugged and was about to answer when Doyle cut her off. "She already said she has always had it."

"Jeez, Angel!" Cordelia shouted. "It's just a stupid poetry book, why are you wigging out?"

"It's not!" Angel closed his eyes, calming himself. "Your right, it's just a book."

"I... I guess I have had it for so long I don't remember when I got it." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest needing to do something with her hands, she wanted her book back but didn't want to be rude to Angel after he had been so nice to her.

"Can I keep this?" Angel asked looking up at Buffy.

"No!" Buffy shouted, then bit her lip. She held her hand out for the book. "I… I never go anywhere without it."

Angel looked down at the book and slowly handed it back to her.

"Thanks." she whispered holding it to her chest again.

"So… no magic book." Gunn nodded. "We back to magic lamp?"

"Ugh!" Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I don't have a nasty old magic lamp here as Buffy has already pointed out."

"Buffy, do you have…" Wesley shook his head slightly. "I don't know, an enchanted object maybe?"

"What do you mean?" She asked the British man.

"We need to find out why odd things keep happening when you are around." Wesley told her. "I thought maybe you might have an object that could have a spell cast on it."

Buffy shook her head and looked down at the book in her hand with a small smile. "The only thing I always have on me is my book. Maybe this book has a spell on it, I mean it's been through hell and it's still in pretty good shape."

Buffy looked at Angel when he said something so quietly she couldn't make it out. He looked back at her, his tone was completely different than earlier. She sat down next to him again but not as close as before.

"There's got to be a way we can find out if it is enchanted or cursed." Doyle said.

Cordelia nodded.

"Set it on fire, see if there's damage." Dennis offered.

"NO!" Buffy and Angel shouted at the same time.

Everyone turned to look at Angel. "It… uh, the book is clearly very important to Buffy." Angel amended. "You can't just set it on fire…"

"Yeah." Cordelia nodded again. "Even I think that is kind of mean."

Buffy looked to her brunette friend with wide eyes. "Kind of?"

The brunette just shrugged.

"There is a way to find out…" Wesley nodded walking over to the shelf of books, running his fingers across the books as he checked the titles. "Ha! Here it is."

"It's not going to ruin it…" Buffy looked worried. "Right?"

"No, not at all." Wesley shook his head. "It might just get a few herbs on it. Although, if it is cursed you might want to destroy it." Wesley opened an armoire near the bookshelf pulling out a few jars.

"I don't understand how it could be cursed or enchanted or whatever." Buffy held tighter onto the book. "I have always had it and nothing has happened before."

"That you know of." Doyle added. "I mean check it out." He pointed to Dennis. "He wasn't alive yesterday."

"You also set one of my books on fire." Wesley reminded her of one of their first meetings.

Cordelia nodded. "and when we are too lazy to get up to get the remote you like will it to come to you or something."

"That is just called using The Force." Gunn laughed. "The Force is strong in you young Jedi!"

"Is that Star Trek?" Cordelia asked.

"Star Wars." Gunn, Doyle and Buffy said in unison.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Again?"

"May I?" Wesley asked holding his hand out to Buffy.

She looked down at the book pressed against her chest and slowly handed it to him. "You promise nothing will happen to it?"

"Promise." He nodded as he took it from her. He set it down on the table and began to open the jars he got out of the armoire.

Buffy watched him as he sprinkled something on the book and spoke in what she thought was Latin. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when nothing happened.

Suddenly there was a loud boom, Angel sat forward putting a protective arm in front of Buffy. Angel looked at Wesley irritated as smoke rose from the book. Wesley began to cough. Cordelia burst out laughing when she saw the smoke residue on Wesley's face.

"Well…" Wesley coughed. "That isn't a curse or an enchantment."

"What the hell was that then?" Gunn asked standing near the couch behind Buffy and Angel.

"That was… well." Wesley took his glasses off to clean them. "It would appear it has a protection spell on it."

"How would that get there?" Angel asked.

Wesley put his glasses back on only to take them back off to clean them once again. "The previous owner, perhaps."

"I don't get it." Dennis shook his head. "Why would someone put a protection spell on a book of poems?"

"Really good poems." Buffy defended her book.

Angel reach across the coffee table to pick the book up, he brushed the herbs off it and handed it back to Buffy. "So, we are back to having no clue what is going on?"

"It would appear so." Wesley nodded.

"Wait." Gunn leaned his hands on the back of the couch. "Don't we got a demon to kill too?"

"Yeah." Doyle agreed. "We do."

"That can wait." Angel said, she glanced around the room at everyone looking at him. "Until tomorrow at least."

"When have you EVER said something could wait when there is a demon involved?" Cordelia eyed her boss.

Angel shrugged. "Well, it isn't exactly life or death. The Hyperion is abandoned."

"Uh…" Dennis raised his hand. "This is life, though."

"Why don't we all just sleep on it?" Angel suggested. "Tomorrow we can deal with the Thesulac and pick this back up if we have time."

"What are we doin' until then?" Gunn asked.

"Sleeping." Angel said standing up from the couch. "Didn't I just say that?"

"The night is still young." Doyle reminded Angel.

"Okay." Angel nodded. "I think I am going to stay here for the night… just to make sure nothing else happens with Buffy."

"What's goin to happen?" Doyle asked. "You got any more ghosts here to turn human?"

Cordelia huffed at Angel. "Oh, really? And where are you going to sleep? I already have to come up with somewhere for Dennis to sleep now."

Dennis looked pointingly at the couch where Buffy had been sleeping since she came to stay with Cordelia.

"Don't even think about it." Angel growled at Dennis.

"There is a very nice chair here…" Cordelia padded the chair arm that she was leaning against. "It's very comfy, isn't it Doyle?"

Doyle nodded. "Very. I could sleep here."

"But you won't." Cordelia added looking down at Doyle.

"But I won't." He nodded again.

Buffy's eyes widened and she muttered. "Great, more staring… all night."

Angel looked down at her then to Cordelia. "Can't he stay somewhere else?"

"This was my house first!" Dennis whined.

"Oh my God!" Cordelia huffed. "Come on Dennis, I will make you a place to sleep in the bedroom." She said walking towards her room, then called back. "On the floor!"

"Wait… What?" Doyle looked around the room. He didn't like the idea of Dennis sharing a bedroom with Cordelia. "What about the comfy chair?"

0o0o0

Angel sat at the end of the couch watching Buffy curled up sleeping on the other end. She looked so peaceful, it was nice to see since she had been freaked out and crying most of the day over the fact that she had somehow brought Dennis back to life. He had tried to distract her telling her a story about his past but it ended with her being more upset because an angry mob had tried to kill him. That might not have been the best story to tell her but it was connected to the case they were working on at the moment. Suddenly, he felt as creepy as Dennis staring at her, he looked away and saw that the sun was about to rise, he needed to get out of there so he could get ready to kill the Thesulac demon.

As soon as he stood up, Buffy moved slightly. Looking up at him with a sleepy smile. "Hey."

"Hey." He smiled. "You should go back to sleep."

"Where are you going?"

"I have a few things I need to do." Angel said looking down at her on the couch.

Buffy sat up on the couch and looked out the window. "But the sun is about to rise, you should stay the day."

"I can't." Angel shook his head. "I have a demon to kill, remember?"

Buffy nodded and watched as Angel walked towards the door. "Angel." When he turned back to look at her, she whispered. "Be careful."

"Always." He smiled as he walked out the door.


	9. Who Are you?

Guest- I love reading what you think! Yes, Doyle is only slightly jealous. Lol

Allison117- We will find out about the book soon! Maybe it just took being told to stay away from Buffy for Angel to start coming around.

I hope you all like this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed this story!

Chapter 9: Who Are You?

Buffy sighed as she looked around the apartment, Cordelia had left about 45 minutes ago to pick up Gunn and Wesley. When Cordelia left she said that Dennis was still sleeping, being brought back to life must take a lot out of a person because he was normally already cooking her breakfast by now. A small smile appeared on Buffy's face when she saw Angel's black duster was still hanging on the coat rack by the door. She walked over and picked it up, she could smell… Angel. She wasn't sure what it smelt like but she knew that smell. Maybe some kind of aftershave or something. She sat down on the couch with his coat, she still didn't know what it was about him but for some reason she was drawn to him maybe in the same way he was drawn to her, she didn't know. He didn't talk to her much about the draw that he felt, he just assured her that he didn't want to kill her. She squeezed the coat closer to her, she paused when she felt something, sticking her hand in the pocket she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She chewed on her lip for a moment and looked at the door. Feeling around in the pocket again she pulled out a lighter, black of course. She smiled, he seemed to love the color black. Getting up from the couch, she went outside.

She looked around and smiled, she hadn't been outside in a while even in the day time because everyone seemed to be so busy these days. Taking a half-smoked cigarette out of the pack she put it in her mouth and lite it with Angel's lighter. She hadn't smoked in 5 years, not since her mom kicked her out of the house. It's not that she quit by choice, she just couldn't afford the habit. Her best friend always told her it was a bad habit that would end up killing her and if she died then she would be forced to bring her back to life and kill her. Back then it was funny, bringing someone back to life wasn't possible but now, after Dennis DID come back to life it wasn't funny and it was very possible!

Taking another drag from the cigarette, she looked at the white stick in her hand, it had been half smoked already. Most likely by Angel… her thoughts drifted to Angel. He had been so sweet to her yesterday, he stayed with her all night which they had stayed up talking about stupid random things for a while until she fell asleep then this morning he was nice to her again. Maybe it was the start of something, even if it was a closer friendship. It couldn't be anything more than friendship, she didn't date, her and men were two very un-mixy things and there was also the fact that he was still in love with someone from when he was human. Buffy thought she heard something behind her, turning around she didn't see anything so, she took another drag of the cigarette and went back to her thoughts. Over 200 years of being in love with a dead person, it must get lonely. She knew lonely very well, she didn't have many friends back home, just her best friend that she couldn't ever remember not knowing. She hadn't spoken to her best friend since the night her mom kicked her out. She had been on the phone and her mom burst into her room, she told her best friend she had to go and she never talked to her again. Buffy didn't even get to tell her that she was leaving. She wished she could have stayed with her best friend but there wasn't any room for Buffy at the foster home she lived in.

Buffy sighed, there was no way to get ahold of her best friend now. She could be anywhere, at 18 years old she would have been out of the system and out on her own. Maybe once Angel figured out what was going on with her, he could track down her best friend. She wouldn't pass up more time with Angel, if things kept going the way they were with Angel she would be extremely happy to spend more time with him. Buffy paused in the middle of taking a drag of her cigarette when she heard something behind her, she didn't think she heard something anymore, she knew she heard something. Turning around she gasped with wide eyes when she saw a huge bright red bird looking creature with three heads, towering over her. Buffy let out a scream, dropping her cigarette when one of the bird's heads lunged towards her. The bird started to move towards her, she didn't know what to do, the bird was now standing between her and the apartment door the only thing she could think of was to run. She didn't know where she should run though. There was no way she could run all the way to the Badlands where Gunn's crew was and she had no idea where Angel was, not that he could really help her in the middle of the day anyway. Getting to the side walk she looked both ways to see if anyone was there that could help her, there were two women walking down the other side of the street, they looked towards Buffy, then at each other and started to run down the street.

"Oh God, Oh God." She chanted as she looked behind her and saw the bird lifting from the ground. How could something that big fly? "The thing has three heads and I wonder how it can fly?" She started to run faster, she found herself in front of a large building she had never seen before. She should have kept running but instead she ran into the gated area. She heard the bird let out a loud piercing sound as it started to swoop down at her, landing behind her. Buffy spun around to look at it then glanced around for a way out.

0o0o0

Angel walked into The Hyperion Hotel through the basement, there was an entrance to the sewer down there which made it easy for him to get into the hotel during the day time. Looking around the hotel it lacked the life it once had when he was a guest here, there was dust everywhere and white sheets covering the furniture. The hotel had closed down in 1979, after becoming a protected historical landmark it could not be torn down so the owners had been trying to sell it for the past 20 years. After so many deaths had occurred in the hotel no one had wanted to buy it.

Angel made his way up the stairs to the second floor where his room once was, standing outside in the hallway he looked around. No one had been taking care of the building, it had a lot of damage. There was a door off its hinges and leaning against the wall, ceiling molding had fallen and been left along with a few other broken pieces of the hallway. He stood there in front of his old room for a moment before making his way back down stairs, without hesitation and made his way back down into the basement. Looking around for a moment he moved an old chair over to the wall, feeling around over his head he stopped when his hand came in contact with something. Pulling it down, he opened the dusty bag to find the money he had hidden above the pipe for Judy, 61 years earlier. He opened the bag and found the money still untouched.

Walking up the stairs with the bag of money in his hand he slowed down, feeling something… that he shouldn't be feeling. Tossing the bag to the floor he looked around the lobby of the hotel but he knew it wasn't inside the hotel he was getting the feeling from, it was outside. Stepping closer to the door he looked out into the bright garden, whispering "Buffy." At first, he didn't see anything but suddenly Buffy ran into his view over near the gated entrance of the garden as she entered the area. She looked scared but he didn't see anything, he looked up when he heard a high-pitched scream just as a giant red bird with three heads began to descend to the other side of Buffy. Stepping closer to the door way he stopped when he was about to step out into the sun. When the large bird took a step closer to her so did Angel, he hissed in pain as the sunlight touched him. "Buffy!" He yelled causing her to turn her head towards him. "Come here!" He looked up to the bright sky. "I can't get to you!"

Buffy looked to the large red bird then back to Angel, wondering how she was going to get to him without dying. Letting out a scream when the birds body flew towards her, she set out at a run towards Angel, jumping over a stone bench that was in her way, she flung herself through the door.

Angel placed his hands on her face and ran them through her hair, slightly checking her over but he didn't have enough time to ask her if she was alright, the large bird had already lifted off the ground, flying low. Angel pushed her behind him protectively, slowly backing them up as the bird landed inside the door. Buffy clung to his arm from behind him as his arm slid around her waist, he looked around. "I didn't really think this through."

"What…" Buffy bit her lip, not taking her eyes off the creature that was trying to kill her. "What do you mean?"

"Weapon wise…" Angel told her glancing back at her but quickly went back to the bird like creature. "to kill it with… Also, I kind of have a phobia." Angel watched it as the three heads started to shake, suddenly flames came shooting out of all three mouths. "That breathes fire! Did you see that? It has fire for breath!"

"I saw." Buffy murmured afraid it might do something else if she talked to loud. "Exactly what kind of phobia do you have?"

"Birds." Angel nodded shakily.

"Lovely." She said sarcastically, still clinging to him.

Glancing around the room again he turned his head to look at Buffy then back to the red bird. "Could you do me a favor?"

"That depends."

"On?" Angel asked taking a step back, guiding Buffy with him.

Buffy wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, closing her eyes tightly. "If I live..."

"Oh, you'll live." Angel said taking another step back. "Trust me."

"I do." She said firmly, as if it was the only thing she was sure about.

Angel turned his head to look at her, suddenly not worried about his bird phobia at all. "Can you run over and get that piece of wood?" Angel nodded towards a broken piece of wood near a sheet covered couch. "I will distract it."

Buffy nodded without hesitation.

"Alright, Little One…" He said not taking his eyes off the bird. "Are you ready?"

Buffy nodded again, letting go of his midsection.

"And…go!" Angel lunged towards the bird as Buffy ran for the board across the room.

Buffy reached the board and looked up to see Angel jumping out of the way of the fire breath, as soon as he got his footing he ran, drawing its attention away from her. Now that she had the board how did she get it to him? "Angel!"

As soon as she called out his name the large bird turned towards her, the head in the middle cocked to the side and the head on the left let out another piercing scream. Buffy's eyes got large as the bird began to lift off the ground in her direction.

"Oh, no you don't!" Angel called as he jumped towards the bird, knocking it to the ground. Angel quickly ran to Buffy taking the board out of her hand and starting towards the bird again, then stopped for a second to turn back to Buffy. "Thanks." He swung the board at the bird as it struggled to get up then striking the bird again in the stomach before it had time to recover. The large bright red bird flared it's wings out hitting Angel and knocking him backwards as one of the head reached out and snapped at him, ripping his shirt. "Why do all my shirts get ruined?" He asked as he got up from the floor.

The bird flopped back on to its feet turning towards Buffy, Angel grabbed her and pulled her towards him just as all three of the birds heads breathed out flames as bright as the birds feathers. Angel never took his eyes off the bird as he pushed Buffy behind him again. "Don't worry, you'll be fine…"

Buffy hit Angel on the shoulder drawing his attention towards the door behind the large bird. "Is that what I think it is?"

Angel couldn't believe what he was seeing, a large creature with a lion body and a tan colored eagle head gracefully entered the hotel lobby with its eyes locked onto Buffy. "If you're thinking it's a Gryphon, then yeah. "

"So now we are going to either be killed by Big Bird or Simba and Big Mama's love child?" Buffy sighed dramatically. "Maybe they know about your bird phobia."

"Buffy…" Angel said slowly. "What do you know about Gryphons?"

"Are we really going to play trivia right now?" Buffy looked from one creature to the other.

The large red bird turned towards the Gryphon, the movement catching the hybrids attention. The Gryphon's ears pinned back against its head as it blinked, its tail lashed back and forth, letting out a deafening screech that soon turned into a lion like growl. The bird turned back to Buffy and Angel only to receive a loud roar from the Gryphon. The Gryphon began to circle the large bird.

Buffy watched the large Gryphon that had to be at least six feet long as it kept circling the bird. "What's it doing?"

"Shh." Angel whispered.

When the Gryphon was behind the bird, the red creature started towards Buffy and Angel, grabbing tightly on to Angel again, Buffy whimpered. She didn't know if this Gryphon being here was a good thing or a bad thing. The Gryphon let out a roar as it jumped over the bird, blocking it from the pair. Letting out a loud scream the Lion Eagle hybrid lunged at the bird, Buffy closed her eyes tight against Angel's back but she could still hear screams of a fight taking place. When silence fell she slowly opened her eyes to see the large bird in several pieces, it's red feathers all over the floor. The Gryphon slowly made its way towards them shaking its head to fluff up its feathers then lowering its head to the floor, with wide spread wings and closed eyes.

"What's it doing?" She asked again.

Angel turned his head to Buffy but didn't take his eyes off the large creature who's wings spread almost the whole width of the lobby. "It… it's bowing."

After several moments, the creature stood up opening its beak slightly it gently nudged Buffy in the shoulder.

"An… Angel." She whispered on the verge of crying. "What do I do?"

"Just relax, Buffy." He said stepping away from her. "It won't hurt you."

Buffy took a deep breath. "How do you know?"

"It was protecting you." He reassured her. "Relax."

"Easy for you to say…" Buffy whispered. "You don't have the beak the size of your body about to naw off your shoulder."

As soon as the words left Buffy's mouth the creature stepped back and slowly shrunk down to the size of a lioness. Nudging at Buffy's hand, she slowly brought her hand up, placing it on the Gryphons head she gently stroked it. She looked at Angel amazed when she heard the sound of a purr coming from the creature before it turned its head towards the entrance, looking at Buffy one last time it turned and walked out.

"Who are you?" Angel asked, clearly in as much amazement as she was in.

"Aren't you the PI?" Buffy shrugged. "You were going to kill it with a two by four?" She asked in a hushed voice

Angel shrugged back at her. "Doesn't hurt to try."

"Yeah well now I am in full support of your fear of birds." Buffy said giving him a small smile. "I feel a case of Ornithophobia coming on myself."

Angel smiled at her.

"And here I thought vampires weren't afraid of anything." She gave him a teasing smile. "Well, at least not you."

"I am." Angel's smile fell. "Afraid."

"Of birds, rights?" She said still teasing him. The guy kills demons for a living and he's scared of birds.

"Something even scarier."

Buffy looked at him in confused. "What?"

"You." He whispered. Feeling a change in the atmosphere of the old abandoned hotel, Angel looked up to see the Thesulac demon had manifested on the landing of the stairs. "Buffy, get behind me again."

Buffy moved to get behind him without even knowing why, she would do anything he asked without any questions or hesitation. Once she was behind him, she saw the Thesulac, creepy red eyes, still wearing the hooded robe that he had back when Angel had first met him. "Eww, so not what I pictured!"

"Mmmmm." The Thesulac moaned looking at Buffy. "This one will be a tasty treat. Can I have her?" He asked Angel.

"Only if you go through me and then once I'm dust get in line behind every other demon scum in LA." Angel gritted out.

"You are one to talk VAMPIRE." The red eyed demon smiled.

"Like I said…" Angel snorted. "…Scum."

"So much fear in her." The Thesulac smiled looking at Buffy. "So afraid for him. You don't want him to die because of you… a human who cares for a vampire, now that's new."

"You…" Buffy took a deep breath. "You sure talk a lot."

The Thesulac laughed.

"Why the hell is there a dead…." Cordelia started as she walked into the hotel with Wesley and Gunn behind her. She trailed off when she saw the demon by the stairs, walking as far as she could around it and pressed herself against the pillar at the bottom of the stair case then ran to Angel and Buffy. Gunn, Doyle and Wesley followed behind Cordelia. Doyle gave the demon an odd look, Gunn strolled past it while Wesley pressed against the pillar just as Cordelia had.

"I thought you were going to wait to raise him?" Wesley asked Angel in a high-pitched voice.

"We didn't do it." Angel told him.

"Why is Buffy even here?" Doyle asked his boss.

Angel shrugged. "Didn't really get around to asking." He watched the Thesulac as it walked down the three steps going into the lobby. "Watch his tentacles. "

"Excuse me?" Cordelia asked as Buffy made a face and asked. "His what?"

"Tentacles!" Wesley shouted at the two girls.

"Oh." Cordelia nodded.

"I knew that." Buffy nodded as well.

"I don't remember ordering take- out, but I like what you have brung me." The demon said to Angel. "Not as delectable as the last one perhaps but full of tasty paranoia just the same." He laughed, looking at Wesley. "Especially THAT one."

Wesley looked towards Angel, Cordelia and Buffy. "What did he mean by that?"

"You had your last meal here a long time ago." Angel told the demon. "You should had gotten out."

"Gotten out?" The Thesulac laughed. "Why would I want to do something like that when the room service here in this hotel is still excellent? Paranoia here is like a fine wine."

"It gets better with age. You're still feeding." Angel deducted. "Gunn!" Angel turned to Buffy and whispered. "Get down."

Buffy ducked behind the covered couch as Gunn aimed his crossbow and shot an arrow, pinning one of the Thesulac's tentacles to the banister behind him. With another tentacle, the Thesulac grabbed Gunn's hand holding the crossbow, picking the man up the demon threw him across the room, he hit the wall and fell to the floor. Gunn made a face when landed in a pile of red feathers. Doyle shot another arrow to pin another tentacle, before the Thesulac could react Cordelia and Wesley both ran in separate directions to distract the demon as Angel jumped into a forward roll, grabbing a tentacle and jumping to his feet with it in his hand. "The kitchen is closed." He shoved the tentacle into some exposed wires from an electrical box. Sparks exploded from the box, Buffy peaked around the edge of the round couch in the middle of the lobby, she could see electricity run through the tentacle and into the Thesulac. The demon let out screams of pain until there was an explosion and the Thesulac was gone.

"What did he mean especially THAT one?" Wesley asked the group again.

Gunn laughed at Wesley and shook his head and Angel walked over to Buffy, nodding for her to follow him. She got up from behind the couch and followed closely. Walking up to the second floor he gently took Buffy's hand in his, opening the door he walked in to find an old woman sitting in a chair. "Judy?" He asked letting go of Buffy's hand.

"I don't hear them anymore." The old woman said. "Are they gone?"

"Yeah." Angel nodded kneeling down in front of the woman, taking her hand in his. "They are gone."

"It's you." Judy realized.

Angel nodded. "Yeah, it's me."

Judy smiled. "You look the same."

"I'm not." Angel whispered.

Buffy watched as Angel talked to the older woman. How could she have survived here for over 60 years?

"They killed you because of me." Judy whispered. "I killed you."

Angel shook his head. "No, no, no."

Buffy took a step closer to the chair. "He said I would be safe. Am I safe now?" The woman asked.

"Yeah, you are safe." Angel nodded softly.

The woman slowly turned her head when she saw Buffy, giving Angel a large smile, Judy asked. "Is this your love?"

"No." Angel shook his head. "This is a friend of mine."

"Can I go out?" Judy suddenly asked.

Angel nodded again. "Yeah, you can go out."

Judy started to get up from her chair, when Buffy saw she was having trouble she gently grabbed her arm as Angel grabbed her other arm. "Here." They helped her over to the bed when she sat down.

"I just need to rest. Just a little rest." Judy nodded.

Buffy nodded with a sad smile. "Alright."

"Easy." Angel helped her lay down carefully.

"I am so sorry I killed you." She whispered shakily. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course." Angel whispered.

"I am just going to rest." Judy nodded. "and then… then I will go out." She slowly closed her eyes.

Buffy gasped when she saw the woman was no longer breathing, a silent tear fell down her face. She placed a hand on Angel's arm. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He whispered turning towards Buffy. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around him.

0o0o0

Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn sat at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Angel and Buffy while Doyle leaned against the stair case railing. "I have been accused of a great many things in my time but PARANOIA has never been one of them." Wesley continued, Gunn smiled and looked over at Cordelia. "Unless people have been saying it behind my back."

Gunn looked up to see Angel and Buffy coming down the stairs, he looked at them oddly for a second. He could have sworn he saw them holding hands and quickly let go when they came to the top of the stairs. "You two okay?"

"Yeah." Angel nodded to Gunn.

"We finished?" Cordelia asked.

Angel nodded again. "I think so."

"Good because I for one will be glad to see the last of this place." Cordelia said standing up from where she was sitting. "This places gives me the heebie jeebies."

"No lie." Gunn agreed. "Plus, its kind got an odor. You notice that?"

Buffy nodded.

"Eighty years of violence, mayhem and paranoia leaves bad vibes." Cordelia said.

Angel stepped in front of the group and further into the hotel lobby. "We're moving in."

"A few throw pillows, what's not to love?" Buffy shrugged.

"Angel, surely you more than anyone must appreciate how for the better part of a century this place has been the host to not only a malevolent demonic presence but the very worse faces of humanity!" Wesley tries to reason. "This is a place of evil!"

"Not anymore." Angel said with a small smile as he looked around the lobby.

Doyle nodded. "Call it home."

Wesley looked around nervously then leaned closer to Angel. "Angel you don't… find me… especially paranoid… do you?"

"Not especially." Angel replied not looking at him.

"Oh, thank god!" Wesley sighed. "I was worried!"

"If we are moving in…" Cordelia said placing her hand on her hip as her other hand pointed across the room. "Who is cleaning that up? Not to mention the one outside."

"Not it!" Doyle and Gunn called in unison.

"One outside?" Angel asked. "What one outside?"

Buffy ran over to the open glass doors of the hotel to look out. She turned back to Angel and nodded. "There is one."

"It must have been the Gryphon." Angel mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Wesley asked. "What Gryphon? There was a Gryphon?"

Angel nodded. "It showed up and killed the Trechend"

"THAT…" Wesley pointed to the bright red feathers that littered the lobby floor. "…was a Trechend."

"Never heard of…a… Trechend." Gunn shook his head. "I'm guessing it's another one of those Irish things."

"Wait…" Doyle stepped between Angel and Wesley. "You are sayin' a Gryphon was here?"

Angel nodded.

"Half lion, half eagle… Gryphon?" Doyle asked again, Angel nodded. "What did it do?"

"From what I know about Gryphons it was warning the Trechend but it kept coming at us so the Gryphon attacked. Oddly enough…" Angel looked at Buffy. "It was protecting Buffy."

"What?" Wesley gasped, he was very interested to know more.

"Yeah." Angel said. "Once it killed the Trechend it actually bowed in front of Buffy and wanted her to pet it."

"Extraordinary!" Wesley exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was." Angel paused for a moment. "When she said she was scared of its size it actually shrunk."

"It shrunk?!" Doyle asked shocked. "Since when do Gryphons shrink?"

"It was new to me too." Angel shook his head then looked to Buffy. "We really need to find out what you are."

"I'm Buffy Summers." She shrugged. "Just Buffy."

"Just another piece of the Buffy puzzle." Cordelia frowned. "We are never going to find out what is going on if so much weird stuff keeps happening!

"Yes, I agree." Wesley nodded. "Every time we think we are getting somewhere something new happens to throw us."

Gunn sighed "Basically one step forwards, two steps back."

"One thing we do know…" Wesley began. "When Buffy and Angel are apart the Irish… uh… creatures do not attack."

"I think I can prove that theory wrong." Buffy spoke up. "I wasn't with Angel when Big Bird here attacked me. I was at the apartment… I ran here trying to get away from it."

"How did you know where here was?" Doyle asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I just ran."

"What where you doing when you were attacked?" Wesley asked.

Buffy was about to answer him when Cordelia rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Can't we do this someplace else, this place is gross… and creepy!"

"Uh… yes well…" Wesley stammered. "We could."

"Great!" Cordelia smiled. "My place."


	10. Buffy's Theory

Em- Thank you! I really appreciate that!

Jubi2- Sorry, I'm not all for smoking either but Angel did smoke a few times in the show and there are times when people take up smoking because of stress. Buffy has been dealing with a pretty big amount of stress.

Allison117- Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you say that! I really did want to be awesome, but this site didn't want me to be! Haha I was having issues posting anything since I posted chapter 9, from what I have heard it was a site-wide problem. I'm so happy that it's fixed now!

Guest- Exactly! Stress is a pretty big factor for Buffy right now. Wouldn't you be stressed out if you were attacked by demons all the time and couldn't go anywhere? Lol

Thank you all for the reviews, I love reading them!

Chapter 10: Buffy's Theory

Buffy sat on the couch in Cordelia's apartment, her usual spot. Cordelia was in the kitchen with Wesley, Doyle, Gunn and Dennis. They were snacking until Angel got there with food. When they left The Hyperion Hotel Angel went through the basement to the tunnels because it was still light out while everyone else took Angel's car that Cordelia had used to pick everyone up in. It had been hours since she had seen Angel and she was beginning to feel a little nervous. She didn't even know why! Cordelia had spoken with him on the phone a few hours earlier, he had said he needed to take care of a few things and then he would stop by with dinner. Cordelia had told him to get her something healthy but chances were, he wouldn't. Cordelia was obsessed with eating healthy because the camera added ten pounds but Angel didn't care about that. Buffy bit her lip, she had an idea what Angel had to take care of but she wasn't sure if it was in fact what he was doing but she thought he might have called someone about Judy's body. There was no way he would just leave her there, that would be gross and she could tell that he cared enough about her to make sure she was taken care of.

"Are you sure you don't want anything, Buffy?" Cordelia called from the kitchen.

Buffy shook her head. "No thanks, I am good." She knew she should eat something, if Cordelia had known that she hadn't eaten all day, she would have scolded her and forced her to eat.

"Hey." Angel smiled at her as he walked in the door with bags in his arms.

Sitting up straight, she smiled back at him. "Hey, everyone is in the kitchen eating."

Angel held out the bag of food he had gotten everyone. "But I…"

"They couldn't wait." She smiled with a small laugh.

"What about you?" Angel asked. "Why aren't you in there eating?"

Buffy shrugged shaking her head. "I'm not hungry."

"You better be!" Angel raised his eyebrows at her. "I made a stop at Mel's for you."

"Really?" Buffy asked. "Cordelia won't eat that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Angel rolled his eyes playfully. "It's all so greasy and fatty." He did his best impression of Cordelia causing Buffy to laugh. "I got her Café Gratitude."

"Oh, so you made a special stop for Cordelia then."

Angel shook his head. "The special stop was for you." He smiled as he walked past her into the kitchen. "Come on."

Buffy smiled as she got up from the couch, she didn't feel like eating but if Angel went through the trouble of making a special stop for her, she would eat whatever he got for her.

"Finally!" Cordelia groaned when she saw Angel. "Took you long enough!"

"All of your greetings are always the same, Cor." Angel teased setting the bags of food on the counter.

"Because you take too long, man." Gunn grabbed one of the bags.

"She just worries." Dennis told Angel. "You don't know how many nights these two stay up worrying about you."

Angel shook his head. "Cordelia just wants to make sure I am getting the payment from the clients."

"Well, duh!" Cordelia smiled.

"Buffy too." Dennis nodded towards the blonde.

Angel turned his head to Buffy and gave her a small smile, walking the short distance to where she was standing at the entrance to the kitchen. "You don't ever have to worry about me, Little One." He whispered. "I have been doing this for a long time."

Buffy just nodded.

"I'm serious Buffy." He lowered his head slightly. "Is it true what the Thesulac demon said today? Are you afraid I am going to die?"

Buffy nodded again.

"I'm already dead, Little One." He said softly.

"Yeah…" Buffy took a deep breath. "but you could be not here anymore."

"It would take more than a few demons to keep me down." He said with a small smile. "I was sent to hell by someone I thought cared about me but I'm here now."

"Seriously, Angel?" Cordelia huffed. "Mel's? You know I can't eat that crap!"

"That…" He reached over and grabbed the bag from the brunette. "Is for Buffy." He smiled at Buffy as he handed her the small bag with her food in it.

"Thank you."

Cordelia dug around the bags some more, taking out the containers of food and setting them on the counter.

"Ohhh, Strawberry shortcake!" Wesley exclaimed picking up a container from the counter.

Angel grabbed it out of his hand quickly knowing very well it would be gone in a matter of seconds. "That is for Buffy too."

"Where is our dessert?" Gunn frowned.

"You didn't get any." He turned back around, handing the dessert to Buffy as he heard the men behind him whine. "Did any of you almost get killed by a three-headed bird?"

"No!" Gunn shouted. "But I got thrown in its leftover corpse by tentacles!"

"Speaking of…" Doyle looked from Wesley to Angel.

"Ah, yes." Wesley nodded as he opened a container of salad. "We need to discuss this Trechend."

Gunn nodded as he got a can of soda out of the fridge and opened it. "I would like to talk about the Gryphon cause that is bad ass."

Doyle nodded. "Yeah, I gotta agree there."

"Buffy…" Wesley ignored his two co-workers. "You said you weren't with Angel when you were attacked?"

Buffy shook her head.

"So, that throws the only theory we have out the window." Cordelia huffed.

"We will just have to come up with another one." Wesley told the brunette then turned back to the blonde. "What were you doing?"

"Um…" Buffy pursed her lips. "Smoking."

"Smoking?" Angel asked. "Where did you get a cigarette?"

Cordelia glanced around the room, sniffing. "You were smoking in the apartment?"

"I found it in your coat, Angel and no… I went outside." Buffy shrugged. "I didn't think it would hurt, I mean what demon…. thing would attack in the middle of the day?"

"A Trechend." Doyle pointed out.

Cordelia looked at Angel, surprised. "You are smoking too?"

Buffy looked to Doyle. "I see that now."

"Dennis…" Angel looked at the former ghost sternly. "What were you doing when she was attacked?"

"Angel, I believe we were talking about you smoking!" Cordelia huffed. Smoking was something that she found disgusting and it really wasn't good for your health. She didn't want anyone in her little family to risk their health, their lives were already on the line fighting demons every night.

"Really, Cordelia? What's it going to do? Kill me?" Angel looked to Buffy. "Don't smoke, it will kill you." Then he turned to Dennis and asked again. "Where were you?"

Dennis shrugged. "I didn't know what was going on, I was sleeping."

"You were sleeping?!" Angel exclaimed. "You were here with her! Whoever is with her has to protect her."

"Angel, do you really think he knows how to fight?" Cordelia asked, then turned to Dennis. "Wait, do you?"

Dennis shook his head.

Angel scoffed. "Yeah, some perfect boyfriend you would be." He whispered so no one could hear him.

"Can we get back to what we were discussing?" Wesley said sternly.

Angel scowled at Dennis but nodded.

"So, you were smoking?" Wesley asked leaning against the counter. "That is it?"

Buffy nodded slowly.

"Are you sure?" Wesley pushed.

"Yes!" Buffy sighed. "The only things that were going on was smoking and thinking."

Wesley stood up straight. "What were you thinking about?"

Buffy shrugged. "My old life… and…" biting her lip she whispered. "Angel."

"Me?" Angel asked with a small grin. "You were thinking about me? What were you thinking about me?"

Wesley looked at the vampire oddly. "So instead of being with Angel, you were thinking about him."

"What?" Gunn asked making a face as he took a bite of his chicken salad. why did he have to eat this healthy crap and Buffy got a burger and strawberry shortcake? "So, this bird is like a mind reader or something?"

"No." Doyle pushed away from the counter as he chewed his food. "Well, not that I know of. There was never any talk of it."

"He's right." Angel said seriously, crossing his arms over his chest. "There was never any mention of telepathic abilities in stories we were told back home."

"What if someone else can?" Buffy asked.

Angel looked towards Buffy with creased eyebrows. "What?"

"I don't know… it might be stupid…" Buffy paused as everyone looked at her. The only time they all looked to her was when she had found something while she was researching for a case but this was different. She had no idea if what she was about to say would even make sense. "but… what if someone else can read minds or knows what is going on or something? Like these demons are being controlled by someone…"

"That…" Angel looked towards Wesley. "… is actually a really good theory." He smiled at Buffy then looked back to Wesley. "What do you think, Wes? It could be possible."

"Yes. Yes, indeed." Wesley looked down at the counter and back up at Buffy, wondering why he didn't think of that himself. "Good theory."

"So, every single demon is being controlled by someone?" Gunn asked. "How come Angel and Doyle aren't affected?"

"I am." Doyle nodded. "Just not violent, I guess."

"Or it could have something to do with the half breed thing…" Buffy shrugged picking at her food.

Angel smiled at Buffy. "She could be right on that too."

"So how do we test that theory?" Cordy asked.

"Uh…" Wesley pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "We don't. We can't, not really. We need to actually find out who it is, if they are actually being controlled."

Angel looked at Buffy as she sat down at the kitchen table rubbing her face. She looked exhausted, he couldn't exactly blame her, she had been through a lot today. "We can pick this up some other time, right?"

"Excuse me?" Wesley asked.

"I'm sure everyone is tired." Angel motioned to the whole group. "Why doesn't everyone get some rest…"

"We normally work later than this." Cordelia eyed Angel. "What is your deal?"

"Nothing." Angel looked at Cordelia. "We just keep different hours, I'm a night…. person and you all… aren't. Get some sleep."

Everyone watched him as he walked out of the kitchen then went back to their food, Buffy however kept watching him as he sat down on the couch. She didn't know what he was waiting for.

After everyone was done eating, Angel went back into the kitchen, Buffy had hardly eaten anything still. "Buffy is going to stay with me tonight."

"What?" Cordelia, Dennis and Buffy all asked. "Why?" Cordelia added.

Angel shrugged. "I just feel she is safer with me."

"Yeah because demons attack when she is with you or even thinks about you apparently and any vampire in the world can just walk right into your apartment, sounds a lot safer to me!" Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"I'm the boss." Angel pointed at his chest. "What I say goes."

Rolling her eyes again Cordelia scoffed. "And I am her friend!"

"Is this because I didn't protect her?" Dennis asked slighted upset.

"Don't even get me started on that!" Angel shouted at the shorter dark-haired man.

"Um…" Buffy said softly. "Do I get any say in this?"

"What would you like to do, Buffy?" Wesley asked.

"I…" Buffy shrugged. "I kind of want to go with him."

"Of course, you do!" Cordelia threw her hands up in defeat.

"I'm sorry." Buffy whispered.

Cordelia pulled Buffy away from the rest of the group then looked over at Angel, she knew he would be able to hear her with his super vampire hearing so she pulled Buffy into the bedroom with her. "Buffy, why do you really want to go with Angel?"

"I feel safer." Buffy shrugged.

"That's it?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry but a fire breathing Big Bird with three heads tried to kill me today and Angel is the one who was there…. I just feel better with him." She felt better in more than one way, it wasn't just that demons were trying to kill her and so far, he had protected her no matter what, even when it seemed as if he hated her he never let anything happen to her but the fact that she felt so content around him, she felt safe almost as if she was home. Not the home she had with her mother, a better home. A safer home.

"And you're sure it only has to do with safety?" Cordelia didn't believe it. "It has nothing to do with the fact that you are crushing on him?"

Buffy opened her mouth to speak but then closed it quickly. "It is about the safety. Angel has vampire strength."

"Have you seen Doyle fight when he goes all demon." Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "He is really strong."

Buffy nodded. "I know… he is. Can you just please be okay with me going? I'm sure it is only for tonight anyway, I mean it's already been a few days of Angel being nice to me. It's going to end soon… or the world is about to end, in which I am sure we will all die."

"Oh no, we would totally stop the end of the world." Cordelia smiled. "We have done it before. Now come on, you need to get an overnight bag ready."

"Thanks Cor." Buffy smiled. "Is it really that easy to see… how I feel?"

Cordelia nodded. "To me. But he is a man, I'm sure he doesn't have a clue." Taking Buffy by the hand she pulled her over to the closet that they shared. "Besides, maybe you will make Angel become less of a hermit. It would be cool, you know?"

"What would?" She asked grabbing a pair of warm pajamas as Cordelia got a bag to pack.

"You two." Cordelia took the pajamas out of Buffy's hands and pulled out another pair. "You're my best friend Buffy, but do you know how long I have known Angel? A LONG time. He is my best friend too. There are only two things better than my best friends being together: marrying a rich surgeon and eating whatever I want and not gaining an ounce."

"Cordelia…" Buffy grabbed the bag that the brunette had put on the bed.

"Oh hush!" Cordelia smiled, taking the bag from Buffy and putting an outfit into it. "Now come on."

Walking out of the bedroom Buffy headed into the living room, Cordelia looked around the living room and kitchen then turned to Doyle, Gunn, Wesley and Dennis. "Where is Angel?"

"Waiting outside." Dennis nodded towards the door. He was happy Angel was leaving, he normally liked the Vampire but lately he seemed moody.

Taking the bag from Cordelia, Buffy opened the front door to find Angel standing on the stoop smoking a cigarette and holding what looked like the food he had bought her in the other hand. He turned to look at Buffy as he exhaled the smoke. "Ready?"

Buffy nodded.

"Have your book?" He asked as he put the cigarette out on the side of the building, after Cordelia's freak out over smoke, he was sure if she knew he was smoking outside her apartment he would end up with a stake in his heart. Angel waited to make sure that Buffy had her book, he knew she had said she never went anywhere without her book of poetry, he was interested to know why.

Buffy put her hand on the bag and nodded again.

"Good." Angel nodded. "Let's go."


	11. Pratt

Sassy.B93- Thank you so much! I'm happy that you are enjoying this story!

Chapter 11: Pratt

Angel opened the door to his small apartment, small didn't exactly cover it. It was tiny. It was mostly a small open space, he had hung a curtain to divide his bedroom from the living room. The only door inside the apartment was to the bathroom. He suddenly felt like maybe Buffy shouldn't be there, Cordelia's apartment was far better than his. His apartment was dark, Buffy seemed like the kind of person who should always be bathed in light. Turning towards Buffy, he awkwardly held his hand out for her to come in. "So, this is it." He shut the door behind her tossing her overnight bag onto the couch across the room. "I know it's not much…"

Buffy looked around the dimly lit apartment at all the art and statues that looked like they were old and most likely had a great story behind them. "It's great." She smiled.

"Compared to Cordelia's…"

"Angel…" She cut him off. "It's better than pretty much all the places I have stayed at in the past 5 years. It's nice." She glanced around the small apartment. "It's perfect."

"Yeah, well…" Angel shrugged. "It's only temporary."

"How long have you lived here?" Buffy asked looking at a naked statue in a case

"A little over 2 years."

Buffy turned to look at him, laughing. "Do you know the meaning of the word temporary?"

Angel smiled at her, watching her going back to looking at the few things he had collected over his years of traveling. Luckily, they had been in storage when his apartment was blown up. "I use the word loosely."

Buffy walked over to the far wall to look at a painting on the wall. "Where did you get this?"

"Paris." Angel walked up behind her. "1885. Nice guy, a little depressed."

She turned around quickly, not knowing he was now standing right behind her. "You met Vincent Van Gogh?!"

Angel nodded.

"That… that's amazing." Buffy smiled. "I bet you have met a lot of historical people."

"Maybe a few." He shrugged. "Are you into History or just Art?"

"A little of both." She walked over to another statue. "My mom owned an Art Gallery back in San Francisco, as for History…" she shrugged. "I guess it just comes naturally. I was always good at it in school."

"You're from San Francisco?" He asked leaning against a small desk.

Buffy nodded. "I lived there until I was 15."

"That when your mom kicked you out?"

Buffy nodded again. She missed her mom, or at least how her mom was before things started to go downhill. She still didn't even know what she did wrong to get kicked out, she was always a pretty good kid. She got good grades thanks to her best friend who would study with her all the time, she was never in any serious trouble and she never ran around with boys like other girls her age.

She clearly didn't like the change of subject and he didn't want to upset her. "Sorry, bad subject?"

"Yeah." She whispered. "You could say that. It just…" She turned back around to look at the statue. "I don't even know why she kicked me out. I didn't do anything. It's like she hated me."

"Buffy, I'm sure she doesn't hate you." He whispered walking closer to her.

"Then why did she kick me out?" She asked looking down to the base of the statue. "I wasn't a bad kid."

He gently rubbed her arms to comfort her. "Maybe she didn't mean to kick you out… sometimes people have bad days and take it out on the ones closest to them."

Buffy scoffed. "Yeah, every time you piss Cordelia off, I get a rant."

He stopped rubbing her arms but didn't remove his hands. "I piss Cordelia off that much?"

"Mmm hmmm." Buffy nodded. "Angel…" She whispered. "What if it was something I did and I just don't know it?"

"What do you mean?"

Buffy shrugged. "It's just… my mom turned weird towards me. It was only me. She was the same person to everyone else but me." She leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "She started to get distant and moody with me before she kicked me out. Like, she couldn't stand to be around me… kinda like you, only different."

"Buffy, it's not that I can't stand to be around you." He whispered leaning his head down to rest his chin gently on her shoulder.

"I know…" Buffy nodded leaning against him more, she loved how he felt against her back. "You explained it."

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, squeezing her a little tighter against him. She rested her head against his cheek. "I shouldn't have been so cold towards you."

"It's okay." She said quietly, closing her eyes. She wanted him to hold her like this forever.

"No… it's not." He closed his eyes, he felt something as he held her. Something so familiar yet so far away. "I should give you the tour of the place… We are in the living room…" He gently swayed their bodies to the left where there was an open area with a sink, a hot plate and a small table. "The kitchen…" he nodded towards a closed door near the kitchen. "bathroom." Swaying to the right to face a deep maroon curtain. "…. The bedroom."

"It's perfect." She smiled.

"It's not perfect but…" Angel unwrapped his arms from her and walked over to the couch. "it's home until the Hyperion is livable"

She sighed at the loss of contact when he pulled away from her and watched him sit down. "You're actually going to live there? We thought your office was just going to be there."

"Why not?" He shrugged. "Maybe I will even live in my old room."

"Oh."

Angel held a hand out to her. "Come here." She smiled softly, walking closer to him. He took her by the hand, pulling her down to him. "You did great today, you know that?"

Buffy shook her head.

"You did." He nodded as he wrapped his arms around her again. "You were calmer than Cordelia when she first found out about demons."

"Because I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"I wouldn't." He whispered. "Nothing will ever happen to you when you are with me. I promise."

"I know." Buffy nodded, looking into his eyes. "I don't know how I know but… I just know."

0o0o0

"Wait…" Buffy laughed. "So, Cordy actually had an eye…" she pointed to her head. "in the back of her head?"

Angel nodded with a smile. "We have had some pretty crazy cases."

"Sounds like it. I mean, that boy that was possessed but the demon wanted out because the boy was pure evil." Buffy shivered. "Creepy! You guys are like Torchwood or something!"

"Excuse me?" Angel pulled away from her slightly but didn't take his arms away from her.

Buffy laughed. "Sorry, I have way too much time on my hands and that mixed with Netflix can end badly. Torchwood is a TV show about a team in the UK that deals with Aliens and stuff."

"Oh." Angel looked at her oddly but smiled. "If I come across any actual aliens I will let you know."

"Thanks!" She laughed then Buffy turned serious. "Did I thank you for saving my life today?" Buffy asked with her head on Angel's chest.

"You don't have to." Angel rubbed her back as he closed his eyes, loving the feel of her against him. He had been holding her as they talked about past adventures he had experiences with Cordelia, Wesley, Doyle and Gunn for the past two hours. "Besides, it's my job."

"Yeah…" Buffy looked down at her hand as she played with a button on his shirt. "So, you said before… Angel, why do you think it is that you don't want to kill me?" she asked looking up at him.

Angel looked down at her, slowly moving his face closer to hers. "Kill isn't the word I would use…" He whispered.

"What word would you use then?" She whispered back. She thought he was going to kiss her from the way he was slowly getting closer.

Gently his hand came up to caress her cheek as he looked into her eyes, after a moment he pulled his face away and dropped his hand, he shouldn't go there. "What do you know about Gryphons, Buffy?" He asked her again.

Buffy bit her lip, she had hoped they wouldn't go back to shop talk. She liked where things were going before. "I don't… I thought we were all going to talk about this tomorrow."

"Maybe I can't wait." He said with a small smile. "The thing is… Gryphons are protectors, they only protect something of great importance. Judging by how that Gryphon reacted towards you…. It was almost like he knew you. You're not just Buffy Summers, you are someone extremely important and we need to find out who."

"I don't know though…" Buffy shrugged. "How are we supposed to find out?"

"Something will come up. We will figure it out." He gave her a reassuring smile. "There is something else though…"

"Oh God." Buffy mumbled. "What?"

"Where there is a Gryphon there is normally someone else… someone that they answer to." He told her. "Right about now that Gryphon is more than likely on its way to tell that someone where you are."

"So, what does that mean?" She asked slightly scared. "Are they going to try to kill me too?"

"No." He shook his head. "They will protect you with everything they have. Once they find you, we will have an ally, Buffy."

"I still don't get why me though." She whispered as she cuddled closely to him. "I don't think there is anything special about me."

"No." He whispered. "There is defiantly something special about you." Angel looked over at the end of the couch at her bag. "So, where is your book?"

"Why?" Buffy asked confused. "You guys still don't think all this has something to do with my book, do you?"

Angel smiled. "I just like poetry."

"Really?" Buffy asked, she leaned her body over him to reach her bag. He looked down and smiled when he saw her ass sticking up, she looked damn good in those tight jeans. "Your Irish, right? You said that…"

Angel nodded as he swallowed thickly, suddenly having the urge to touch her in a way he shouldn't. He couldn't help himself with the way she was moving her body against him as she looked through her bag for her book. She looked back at him when he didn't answer her, she smiled at him. "Yeah… I am." He finally said clearing his throat.

"My friend once told me that these poems are in Irish… or Gaelic I think she called it." She got off Angel's lap and returned to where she had been sitting. "I don't know how to read… Gaelic."

"But Cordelia had said you were always reading it." He said confused. "Why is the book so important to you if you don't know what it says?"

Buffy shrugged. "I think I know what it says… my friend kind of dappled in Irish via the internet and drug me along with her. I wasn't into it as much as her but for some reason she really wanted me to learn it." She opened the cover of the book to the hand-written dedication. "Can you tell me what this says?"

Looking down at it he paused for a moment, when he didn't respond she looked up at him. Angel nodded slowly as he looked down at the book. "Tá muid go deo dhá hearts le Soul amháin…" He read. "It means… We are forever two hearts with one soul."

"Wow." Buffy whispered. "He must have really loved her."

Angel nodded then looked down at her. "Do you have a favorite poem?"

Buffy nodded and opened the book to a page without needing to flip through it. It was obvious that the book was open to that page a lot. "I know some of it… can you read it to me?" She loved how he sounded when he spoke in Irish, it was also kind of sexy.

Angel hesitantly nodded and took the book from her.

She lay with her head against his chest as he read to her then translated the poems into English for her. They were all love poems but somehow, she had already known that. She closed her eyes as he read starting to drift to sleep, her small hand lightly roamed his abs then up his chest. She felt something under his shirt. She looked up at him, he had never stopped reading. "What's this?" She asked pulling the chain around his neck out from under his shirt.

Her hand gently guided down the chain to a small ring, he placed his hand over hers taking the ring from her. "It's my wife's." He whispered pulling his body away from her, sitting up straighter. "Her wedding ring."

"Your wife?" Buffy raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know you had been married."

"I didn't tell you." He closed Buffy's book, setting it between them. "No one knows so I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

Buffy nodded then whispered. "Can I see it?"

Angel looked over at her then nodded once, opening his hand.

Buffy looked at it without touching it, he didn't seem to like the fact that she had already touched it. "It's beautiful."

"It's a Claddagh Ring…" He told her. "The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty and the heart… love."

"I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful ring." Buffy gave him a small smile, looking at his hand she saw that he also wore one. It must also be his wedding ring. "How is it in such good shape? I mean, you were married when you were human…"

"The same way your book is still in such good condition." He nodded towards the book. "Protection spell."

"Oh."

"We met this woman who claimed to be able to do magic, everyone else in town stayed away from her but not my wife…" Angel looked straight forwards at the wall. "She couldn't stand it when someone was left out, she of course befriended this woman. Once the spell was complete … my wife…" Angel smiled "said we wouldn't be able to tell if the spell actually worked until we were too old to even remember there was a spell."

"That's kind of sweet." Buffy said with a sad smile. He loved his wife so much, it must have killed him to lose her. "What were you like when you were human? Anything like you are now?"

Angel shook his head. "No. I was…. not a righteous man. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of."

"But you changed…" She said. "After you met her?"

Leaning forward he nodded. "Before her I was basically a loser. My father hated me, he didn't even want me to be seen, to carry his name. My mother was the sweetest woman I had ever met but I knew… I was a disappointment to her, my father told me every day. She saved me, you know… my wife. If it wasn't for her I don't know what would have come of me. In my sister's eye's, I could do no wrong, I think that is why they were so close. They both believed in me."

 **Galway Ireland, 1742**

"I don want it anyway!" A young boy with brown hair to his shoulders shouted as he was thrown out of the tavern.

"Thought we did…" His friend said.

"He didn' know that." He slurred to his friend. The two boys had already had a lot to drink but that never stopped them before.

His friend smiled drunkenly. "Course he did."

"Yeah." The dark-haired boy laughed. "Now where have we got to find ourselves some wenches?"

His friend shrugged and pointed down the dirt road to another tavern. "Let's go."

He threw his arm around his friend as they walked together, swaying slightly. "Got some of me da's silver, he'll never miss it."

"Never does."

The brown-haired boy closed his eyes as they walked, his head was already killing him. He had drank more than his friend had in the tavern and was suddenly starting to feel it the more they walked. He moaned at the pain in his head and the feeling in his stomach. He couldn't stop now, they had another tavern to hit and more wenches to bed. Suddenly, he lost his footing and fell to the ground moaning again as he emptied the contents of his stomach out into the dirt road.

His friend looked down at him. "Ah, why don't you just rest right here, I'll go find us a few good lasses."

He looked up at his friend as he walked away, closing his eyes again he started to pass out.

"Are you alright sir?" A female English voice came.

He opened his eyes to look up at a beautiful woman wearing a beautiful corset gown, he closed his eyes and realized his head was in her lap. "huh?"

"You were passed out in the middle of the street, sir." She looked down at him. "You had me worried. Perhaps we should get you home."

He shook his head but soon regretted it. "Me Da will kill me."

"Surely he will understand you have fallen ill."

"Na." He closed his eyes again, willing himself not to get sick on the beautiful woman. "He will know me had ale."

"Will you let me help you?" The young girl asked.

"Why?" He asked her. "Why help me?"

"Why not?" She smiled as she stood, trying to help him to his feet. "Come. Come with me to the tavern. It's not far."

He smiled at her as he got to his feet, maybe he was going to get a lass tonight after all.

0o0o0

He watched the girl as she filled a basin with warm water, dipping a cloth in it and ringing most of the water out. She waked over to the bed where he was laying and sat on the edge. "How old are you, miss?"

"Beg your pardon." The girl laughed pausing for a second. "Why would you ask me such a thing?" The girl shook her head and laughed again then continued her path his is face with the cloth. "I am 14 years of age, Sir."

"What is such a young beautiful woman doing on her own at this late hour?" He smiled up at her as she continued to pat his forehead with the wet cloth.

"I'm not alone, Sir." She smiled. "I am with you."

The boy laughed. "What do they call you?"

"Pratt." She answered simply.

"Pratt?" He questioned. "Why on earth would someone call a beautiful lass such a thing?"

"It is my surname." She laughed again.

"Ah." He nodded with a smile. "Soon they will call you O'Malley."

Pratt removed the wet towel from his face and looked down at him amused. "Why is that?"

"Tis my surname."

The girl laughed.

"Do you believe in love at first sight, Miss. Pratt?" He asked her seriously.

She leaned in closer to him and smiled. "I do now." She then sat up properly, squaring her shoulders. "If we are to marry there will be no more nights like this, you will land yourself in an early grave, I will just not allow that. Another thing I will not allow is you… chasing any other… girls."

"No other lass 'el catch me attention, promise ya dat." He nodded.

"You must contact my father then." She said getting up from the bed. "If we are to do this then we will do it right. You must court me. My father and I will only be here in Galway for a week, you must do it quickly."

"Wait…" He asked confused. "A week? Where are ye goin'?"

"Back home. To England." She answered. "I accompanied my father on a business trip."

He slowly sat up, reaching out for her. She stepped closer to him and he took her hand gently in his. "Ye can 'ot leave, me just foun' ya."

"Yes." She nodded. "If I am being courted perhaps we will stay longer. Mother will have to make the trip to meet you as well. My parents will need to approve of you if they are to allow me to marry someone they have not chosen."

"Really hate dem arrange marriages." He shook his head.

"Have you…?"

He shook his head again. "Me parents don' believe a lass will marry a disappointment such as meself."

"We must prove them wrong." She smiled at him. "You need to rest."

"How 'bout a kiss, lass?" He smiled back at her.

"I …" She shook her head. "I have never kissed a gentleman before."

Leaning in closer to her, he smiled again his lips only centimeters from hers. "I'm no gentleman."

She pulled back and gasped when she felt his lips on hers, looking at him shocked for a moment. She licked her lips and smiled before she leaned back in to kiss him again. "Please, you must rest."

0o0o0

Opening his eyes slowly Angel looked around, for a moment he was confused. He often dreamt about his wife but this time it had felt so real, almost like it was actually happening. Feeling something move gently next to him he looked down to see Buffy asleep with her head resting on his leg. Rubbing his face, he then cradled her head in his hand and gently stood up. Picking her up he carefully carrying her to his bed where she would be more comfortable, then went back into the living room for her bag. He watched her scoot all the way over to the wall and curl up in a ball as if she was cold. He grabbed an extra blanket that he had for when Cordelia came over, she always complained she was cold. He carefully laid it over Buffy, he smiled as he watched her sleep. Gently he sat down on the bed, smoothing her hair out of her face. He didn't know what it was about her that drew him to her but he needed to find out. He lay down beside her and smiled slightly when she rolled over to face him, scooting back towards the center of the bed- towards him.


	12. Scoundrel

Sassy.B93- Angel is certainly coming around to Buffy now.

Allison117- Oh, to have Angel kisses! HAHA Thank you so much!

I hope you like this chapter too, there are definitely some changes that are happening in this chapter.

Chapter 12: Scoundrel

Buffy woke up the next morning to find herself no longer on Angel's couch where she had fallen asleep. Instead she was in a bed. She rolled over slightly to feel a body next to her, glancing up she saw Angel's sleeping face. He rolled over, wrapping his arm around her waist pulling her close to him. "Not yet, Grá." He mumbled.

Buffy bit her lip. How did they get into this situation? He was so hot and cold on if he could even stand her then the last few days he had held her while they sat and talked and he had even held her hand twice in The Hyperion. Now they were laying in his bed together with his arms around her. He must have taken her to his bed when she had fallen asleep but then he got in bed with her. Why? And when he woke up would he be upset to see her in his arms? She loved the feel of his arms around her so, she decided she would risk him being upset when he woke up, just as long as he got over it quickly. She laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

0o0o0

Buffy woke up to something lightly rubbing her arm, she opened her eyes to see Angel rubbing her arm with his knuckles. "Hey." He whispered. "You okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Why wouldn't I be? Should I not be?"

"I was just wondering." He stopped rubbing her arm and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "We better get up, you can go ahead and shower."

"Oh, okay." Buffy nodded as she sat up, she didn't really want to move but she also didn't want to upset Angel so she quickly got off the bed and went to the living room to get her bag. She looked around the living room, pursing her lips, she couldn't find her bag.

"Here." Angel pulled the curtain back holding out her bag. "I brought it in here last night."

"Thanks." She whispered taking the bag from him, taking the whole thing into the bathroom with her. Setting the bag down she looked around the bathroom, it was very plain looking. Angel obviously didn't decorate the bathroom like he did the rest of his apartment. It was solid white on all the walls without any form of decoration. She took a few steps into the small bathroom before she reached the bathtub. She sighed as she turned on the water and stuck her hand under the stream of water to make sure it was the right temperature. Maybe cuddling up to him wasn't the right choice to make, he wasn't rude to her and he didn't yell at her but he did want her to leave. She slowly started to get undressed. She wanted to be able to spend the day with him, it was nice when he had rushed over to the apartment as soon as she called him but the best part was when he held her on the couch telling her of his past. Something he hadn't even told his best friends about. Last night was even more amazing. She loved how it felt to be in his arms, something she had never felt about a man before. He also opened up to her a little about his wife, another thing no one else knew about. He was clearly still in love with her if he had her ring on a chain around his neck and he still wore his own wedding ring.

She took a fast shower, grabbed her bag and headed out of the bathroom. She made a beeline for the door leading out of the apartment.

"Hey, I will just be a minute." Angel pointed to the bathroom door as Buffy made it half way into the living room, she turned to look at him when he spoke. "You can do your… girly things out here… hair and make-up." He motioned to his head. "I know Cordelia always complains when I don't give her enough time to, I think she called it putting on her face. I… I don't have any mirrors though. Sorry." He shrugged. "The only food I have is your dinner from last night. I guess I didn't really think this through."

Buffy looked at him confused. He didn't want her to leave?

"Are you okay, Buffy?" He asked her.

Buffy shook her head but quickly turned it into a nod. "Yeah… I'm fine." She smiled.

"Good." He gave her a small smile. "I will be out in a few minutes just do… whatever it is that you do."

Buffy watched him go into the bathroom and heard the water turn on, she sat down on the couch to look in the small pocket of her bag. She pouted when she didn't see anything in there. Had she really forgot her make up? She quickly put her hair up in a messy bun using the hair tie that she did find in the bottom of the bag. She didn't have make-up so why spend time doing her hair? It's not like Angel had any mirrors so she couldn't tell if she looked okay or not. She went over to the fridge to grab her leftovers from the night before, she frowned when she saw that there was nothing else in the fridge but her food. She knew he didn't need food but she expected there to be at least some blood in there.

After she ate her food she looked around for something to do while Angel was in the shower, she saw a Cosmopolitan magazine and figured it was Cordelia's. Why would Angel need that? She flipped threw a few pages seeing if there was anything interesting, when she saw an article she thought might be good she set the magazine in her lap as she sat back against the couch. "Boob sex? That sounds…. new." She whispered, she heard the bathroom door open causing her to look up. "Oh wow… Do you… um, do you always walk around your apartment…. naked?"

Angel looked down at himself. "Sometimes. When no one is here. Besides, I'm not naked." He motioned to the towel around his waist.

"That… is pretty naked to me." She whispered.

Angel walked towards his bedroom, closing the curtain behind him. "You ate." He called out to her.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, how did you know…?"

"Super smeller." He smiled as he walked back through the curtain buttoning his black pants. "Just one of the many vampire abilities I have that freaks Cordelia out."

"I remember the smelling thing now." She nodded again.

"You're not wearing any make up." He noted.

"Why?" Buffy asked suddenly self-conscious she brought her hand up to her face. "Does it look bad?"

"No." He shook his head. "You look great. Um, just give me one more minute to get a shirt and then we can go."

"Angel…" Buffy called softly when he went back into his bedroom. "Where exactly are we going? It's in the middle of the day."

"Hyperion." He told her as he walked back out into the living room pulling a white wife beater over his head with a black button up shirt in his hand. "I figured we could get a head start on cleaning it up." He pulled his arms through his black shirt and began to button it. "There are some underground tunnels running under the city, this building happens to have an entrance. I can get pretty much anywhere in the City in those tunnels and because we still don't know why demons are trying to kill you, you will be coming with me."

"Tunnels with sewage and rats?" Buffy asked making a grossed-out face. "I would rather take my chances with the demons."

"No." He laughed softly. "Back in the early 1900's they used to transport criminals using the tunnels underneath LA. No sewage. I promise."

"But there are rats?"

"Occasionally." He smirked.

"Oh, joy!" She said sarcastically.

"Ready?" He asked grabbing her bag off the couch next to her.

Buffy nodded. "Don't you want to eat before we go?"

"I ate while you were in the shower." He called behind him as he walked to the door. "You are just stalling because you're scared of the rats."

"I am not scared of the rats!"

"Yes, you are." He teased.

Buffy bit her lip. "Okay, maybe only a little."

"Don't worry, Little One." He smiled. "I will protect you."

Buffy smiled back at him. "You always do."

"I will protect you from everything you are afraid of." Angel nodded. "Even if it is from a rodent that is only the size of your foot."

"Only a LITTLE scared." Buffy rolled her eyes. "and I said maybe. Angel…"

"Hmm?" He looked back at her as she closed his apartment door.

"Are they really the size of my foot?" She asked nervously.

Angel nodded with a small smirk and lightly rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "You're in luck though, you have small feet."

0o0o0

Angel walked into the hallway of the Hyperion Hotel with Buffy behind him, he made his way into the lobby as Buffy looked around. He had cleaned up all traces of the Trechend. "Angel… she's not… she's not still up there… right?"

Angel shook his head. "No, I already took care of Judy. A friend of mine is looking to see if she has any living relatives."

"If she has been here that whole time, I'm guessing she doesn't." Buffy said quietly.

"Yeah." Angel nodded. "I was thinking the same thing." He looked over to the counter that was once the front desk of the hotel. "So, I have some cleaning supplies here already that I dropped off last night when I was meeting with the owner of this place, he is going to stop by later in the day so we can finish up the paperwork."

"You really own this place?"

"Yeah." Angel smiled as he walked over to the counter to pick up a bucket. "I really own this place. Ready to get started?"

Buffy nodded and took the bucket from him. "You're lucky I like to clean."

"You LIKE to clean?" Angel raised his eyebrows.

Buffy nodded again with a smile. "It works out my frustrations."

0o0o0

"Just ask." Angel said looking down at the book he was reading while Buffy ate her Thai food that had been delivered.

Buffy bit her lip as she put her fork back into the take-out container. "Ask what?"

"I know you want to ask something." He smiled without looking up at her. "Just ask."

"Well…" She twirled her fork around in her rice noodles. "I already know about the whole not a friend of the sun and I recently found out you DON'T sleep in a coffin…"

"Oh, but I have one." He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "I will show you sometime."

Buffy smiled. "I will hold you to that."

"You better." He winked.

Buffy giggled then leaned in closer. Was he flirting with her? Was she flirting back? "But what about blood?"

"What about it?" He crossed his arms in front of him as he leaned in closer to her, against the counter top.

"You drink it, right?" She asked. "Like other vampires…"

Angel nodded.

"How do you get it? Like… you don't kill people, you're a good vampire." She shrugged. "So, do you like hunt wild animals like in Twilight and if you do where do you go? I mean what are the chances you will find a wild animal in the City. Unless you go to the Zoo… or maybe pets. You don't eat pets, do you?"

Angel watched her as she rambled on.

"If you were like the Cullens' I would feel a lot better."

"Ask me to sparkle." He glared at her. "I dare you."

Buffy tried not to smile but failed. "Well… how do you eat then? Tell me!"

"At one point, I fed off people but I never killed them." He told her. "Now I get blood from the butcher."

"You have never killed anyone?"

"I didn't say that…" He glanced down at his book then back up at Buffy. "I said I have never killed anyone when I fed."

"Oh." She looked down at her food.

Angel closed his book. "I have only taken one innocent life in my time as a vampire but I am still living with it every day."

"You regret it?" She asked already knowing his answer.

Angel nodded. "If I had known they were going to be such a pain in the ass I wouldn't have given them eternity."

Buffy pursed her lips but it soon turned into a smile. "Are they really that bad?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "Annoying as hell… but I deserve it."

"No, you don't." She shook her head. "I get this feeling like you feel like you deserve all this bad … stuff but you don't. I know you blame yourself for something that you haven't told me about and you don't have to tell me but just know that you don't have to suffer forever, Angel. Just let it go. You're a good man, you deserve good things."

"I'm not a man."

"You're right." She nodded. "You're a hero."

"No…"

"Yes!" She nodded again. "Look at all the people you have helped, all the lives you have saved, Angel! You have helped so many people in just the short amount of time that I have known you. You have saved me so many times. If that isn't a hero then I don't know what is."

"Buffy…" He asked glancing up at her. "Do you believe in forgiveness? Redemption?"

Buffy nodded. "Of course. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"And what if they blow that second chance?"

"Then a third."

"And if they still can't seem to get it right?" He asked.

"Try, try again." She gave him a small smile. "Angel, it doesn't matter how bad whatever you think you did was. Whatever it was you have made up for it so many times by each person you help now." She watched him closely but saw that he didn't seem to believe anything she was saying. Maybe a change in subject was in order. "So, you said you fed of people but never killed them… did they like volunteer?"

"Some of them." He nodded once. "A few people were into that back then… now a lot more people are. I hear of vampire whore houses where people willingly allow vampire to feed off them."

Buffy made a grossed-out face. "Have you ever been?"

Angel shook his head. "Not really my scene. I haven't bitten anyone in a very long time."

"Did you just stop feeding off people one day?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He looked down at her cartoon of food. "The last time I bit someone it wasn't even human."

"What was it?" She asked taking a bite of her food. "Another vampire?"

Angel nodded.

"I didn't know vampires could bite other vampires."

"It's… it was…" He paused for a moment. "… a sex thing."

"Oh… really?" She asked as she chewed. "Like what…?"

Angel raised his eyebrows at her but when he saw her expectant expression, he shrugged. "Vampires get… off on biting during sex. It's supposedly the most amazing thing a vampire can experience. "

"Why do you say supposedly?"

"Because I tried it." He pushed his book out of the way. "It wasn't as amazing as everyone made it sound, it was actually repulsive to me. I couldn't even…" He paused as he watched her eat. "Are you sure you want to talk about this while you are eating?"

"Oh..." She shrugged. "… doesn't bother me."

Angel chuckled. "You're peculiar."

"Another guy said that to me once." She nodded. "Angel… can I ask you something?"

He raised his eyebrows at her again and laughed. "Have you stopped asking me anything?"

"Right." She smiled. "What does… Grá mean?"

"It means love in Irish." He answered her with a confused look. "Why?"

Buffy shrugged with a small smile. "Just something another guy said to me." He had called her Love in his sleep!

"You and guys, huh?" He shook his head.

Buffy shook her head back. "I don't get along with guys."

"Well, it sounds like you got alone with one guy." He watched her closely. "Or he wanted to get alone with you."

"I don't know…" She shrugged. "He's so hard to read… anyway, can you like jump really high too? This vampire that attacked me could jump like crazy high, he was like a cat or something."

Angel smiled and walked around the counter. "Yeah… I can." He looked over to her as he walked into the center of the lobby before bending his knees and jumped. Before she knew it, he was standing on the outside of the balcony then jumped again, she watched above her as he landed on the balcony on the other side of the lobby.

"Wow!" She smiled as he jumped down landing a few feet in front of her. "You are so much better than just a cat!"

"It comes with age." He shrugged with a smile. "That vampire must not have been very old."

"He looked pretty old." Buffy pursed her lips. "Seriously, he looked like DeBarge."

"Some vampires get stuck in the time they were changed…." He nodded. "I did't… did I?"

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "You were changed in the 1700's right? You SO don't dress like that, you dress in the now… but darker."

"Good…." Angel made a face. "I think."

Buffy laughed at his expression. "It's a good."

"Good." He said again. "What do you think of this place Buffy?"

She shrugged. "It's okay. It needs a lot of work but depending on when you want to move AI here… when did you want to?"

"AI?"

"Angel Investigations." She explained. "Sorry, that is what me, Cordy, Doyle and Gunn call it. When did you want to move the offices here?"

"Soon." He nodded. "You should finish eating." He made his way back over to the counter and motioned to her food. "I want to get the lobby and office areas in top condition before we bring ... Angel Investigations here. Which won't take long with you helping me." He smiled. "You really know how to clean!"

"I was Cinderella for Halloween once." She joked.

Angel laughed "If this is how you work out your frustrations either you have A LOT of frustrations or you don't have any at all now."

"The first one." Buffy smiled.

Angel nodded. It made sense that she would have a lot of frustrations from what he knew about it and he was sure that was only the tip of the iceberg. "I figured this is where we would be dealing with clients and doing research." He motioned around the lobby.

"It's a pretty big place just to be using this area for the office."

"Well, I haven't been through all of the floors yet so I don't know in what condition the rest of the place is. If it isn't too bad I am sure we will think of something to do with some of it."

"Demon Hotel." Buffy let out a small laugh. "I just wouldn't be here like… ever because they all want to kill me."

"You know, it seems like I am really bad at this." He shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

Buffy creased her brow. "Bad at what?"

"Asking… you… to live here…?" He said more as a question. "…with me…"

"Ohhhh..." She whispered.

"You would have your own room!" He said quickly. "There is even a kitchen area in the rooms."

Buffy bit her lip. "So, it would be like having my own little apartment?"

Angel nodded.

"How much a month?" She asked.

Angel shook his head. "Nothing. I just want to make sure you are safe. That's all I care about."

"Oh…." She pursed her lips again and whispered. "Okay."

"Okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, okay. I will live here." She smiled at him when she saw him begin to smile. She would have said yes even if he hasn't said anything about having her own space or the kitchen. Didn't he know she just wanted to be near him?

"Great!" He smiled wider. He leaned over slightly so he could see around Buffy, there was a man wearing a suit carrying a brief case in his left hand. "Mr. Wilkins!" Angel walked over, offering the man his hand.

"Mr. Angel, I am so happy you want to continue with the rest of the procedure!" The man smiled a little too cheerfully. "I have been trying to get rid of this place far too long!" He looked over to a blonde girl at the counter with food next to her. She glanced up at him when he was eyeing her but didn't say a word. "Is this your lady friend?"

"Ahh…" Angel looked behind him at Buffy.

"I'm Buffy." She set her fork down and made her way over to the man in the nice suit to shake his hand.

After he released Buffy's hand he walked over to the counter to set his brief case down. "Lovely girl." He smiled as he opened the case, pulling out some paperwork. "Now, I just need you to sign right here…" He pointed to the first page, handing Angel a pen. Angel held up his own pen and began to sign the paper. Mr. Wilkins flipped a few more pages and pointed again. "…and here." He looked up at Buffy as Angel was signing the papers, he smiled when she met his eyes. "One last John Hancock… here!" He went to the last page. "And we are done." He watched as Angel signed the paper. "Okay! Congratulations Mr. Angel, you are now the proud owner of The Hyperion Hotel!" He said holding his hand out for Angel and then Buffy, he hurried out of the main doors without another word or a glance back.

Buffy watched until the man was completely out of sight. "There is something… off about that man."

"Oh yeah, completely." Angel agreed. "He knows there is something here, he just doesn't know it's gone now."

"Oh, maybe that was it." Buffy nodded as she went back over to her food. "I thought maybe he was a demon. He kept looking at me weird."

"I noticed that too, he wouldn't have touched you with me here though."

Buffy smiled. "I know."

"Would you like to pick a room?" He smiled. "We could get it cleaned up for you."

"Okay." She nodded, following him upstairs.

Walking a short-ways down the hallway he turned around to look at her. "This is the only floor I really checked out so far, it's not in that bad of shape but it does need work. Do you want to look in the rooms?"

Buffy looked around the long hallway. "Where is your room going to be?"

He pointed to a door at the end of the hall. "I figured I would keep the same room."

"Okay." Buffy nodded, she walked down the hallway and pointed at the room next to her. "This is the room that guy died in when you lived here, right?"

Angel nodded.

"Not that one." She walked to the room on the other side of his. "Anyone die in this one?"

"Buffy, I'm sure all these rooms have at someone dead in them at some point." He said walking closer to her. "Even mine."

"How do you know?"

He smiled and leaned closer to her. "I'm dead."

"Very funny." She gave him a small smile. Judy's room caught her eye when she glanced away from him. "Angel, can I ask you a question?"

"Have you stopped asking me questions?"

"Don't answer my question with a question!" She laughed, lightly slapping him in the arm. Then she looked back at the door that was once Judy's room and turned serious again. "You really cared about her, didn't you? …Judy."

"Yeah." He nodded. "I cared about her."

"How?" She asked, Angel gave her a confused look so she continued. "How is it that you care about people… Vampires don't have souls, right? All the vampires I have come across are all 'kill- move on' but you would rather help someone."

"Honestly…" Angel shrugged. "I don't know. I have always cared and never wanted to take a life, the other vampires I used to hang around got sick of me because I didn't want to kill anyone."

"But you made someone a vampire…"

Angel nodded. "That was for my own selfish reasons."

"And you ended up hating them?" She gave him a teasing smile.

"Yeah!" He laughed. "I do!"

Buffy walked over to the room on the other side of Angel's room and slowly opened the door. "When did you start helping people?" She asked walking in, she looked around at the old bed and furniture in the room. There was a small table with two chairs near the window and a small kitchen off the main room. "I think I like this room."

"About 30 years ago…"

Buffy turned around to face him as he walked into the room. "You have been helping people for 30 years? I thought you would have been helping people since you met Judy."

Angel shook his head. "After how things ended here I kind of retreated. I moved to New York City for almost 10 years."

"New York City, huh?" Buffy smiled brightly. "That must have been glamorous!"

"Not really." He replied looking around the room to see how much work would need to be done. "I lived on the streets."

"Oh, sorry." She whispered. "What changed?"

"I met this ...child" Angel smiled at the memory. "She was so young, about 6 or 7… just wondering in the streets of New York City. She had been separated from her parents in a crowd."

"You took care of her and found her parents." Buffy said with a small smile.

"No, the opposite actually." Angel smiled looking down at the floor. "I may have got her out of the way of the speeding taxi but she took care of me. Took me out for ice cream with her allowance and talked to me until her parents showed up. She told me that her family had a plan if they were ever separated they would meet up in a certain location and she needed to go there but first she needed to thank her angel for saving her, the only way she could think of was to take me out for ice cream then we walked to where her parents were waiting."

"That is so sweet."

Looking up at Buffy, he nodded. "She was a sweet little girl, funny too, I hadn't laughed like that in over a century. I will never forget her name and she gave me mine."

"What?"

"Angel... Did you think that was my given name?" He laughed.

Buffy shrugged. "I … I guess I never thought about it."

"She wasn't the first person to call me Angel but for some reason after that day…." Angel shrugged. "I just decided it would be my name."

"What is your given name?" Buffy asked curiously.

Shaking his head, he smiled. "I don't speak of it, it's a horrible name."

"It can't be that bad." She laughed. "Worse than Buffy?"

Angel crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.

"Okay then…" She narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "What was the little girl's name?"

"Bailey." He smiled. "Bailey Hale."

She smiled. "Did you ever see her again?"

Angel nodded. "Once, she was walking down the street with her parents and another little girl. She was a little older but she remembered me, I know she did because she smiled and waved at me."

Suddenly Angel paused causing Buffy to look around the long hallway. "What? Where is it?" She asked. "I know that look Angel, there is a demon here and it is going to try to kill me."

"I don't know." He said softly, narrowing his eyes he scanned the hallway. "I can't see it but I can sense it, it was outside my apartment last night too. Just waiting. It finally left just before dawn."

"So… it's a vampire?" She asked.

Angel shook his head. "I don't know what it is but it's not a vampire."

Buffy jumped when she felt a gust of wind come from behind her. She turned around when she felt the powerful wind circling her. "Angel, what is happening?"

"I…" He shook his head as he looked closely making out a small blurry form. "I don't know."

She looked to Angel when it stopped circling her and rushed up the side of the wall then towards him, the gust circled him once before he felt a tug around his neck and it was gone. He felt his neck then looked to Buffy to make sure she was alright then down the hallway in the direction the form had moved in. "Stay here." He told her firmly before running down the hallway after it.

Buffy watched him run down the hallway and turn the corner.

0o0o0

Stopping, Angel looked around. He couldn't see the blurry form anymore so he had to rely on his other senses. He turned his head to the end of the hall when he caught scent of whatever it was, quickly he ran following the scent up the stairway at the end of the hall. He stopped when he saw a short old man in a long red coat and black buckled shoes, a red hat sitting cocked on top of his long white hair, leaning against the wall.

"'Bout time ey, Liam." The small man smiled.

Angel glared at the man. "What are you… a Leprechaun?" He let out a short laugh. "I'm not going to fight you, wee man, so how about you just give me back my necklace and we can forget this ever happened."

"You mean…" The man held up the ring between his thumb and pointer finger, allowing the chain of the necklace to dangle down his arm. "…tis? Don belong ta ye, lad. Tis bout time it went back ta da rightful owner."

"Of course, it's mine." Angel grounded out. "Now give it back before I really get angry."

"Oh, Mrs. O'Malley would be so proud." The small Irishman shook his head. "Tought you got da anger problem in check long 'go."

"I don't have an anger problem unless someone pisses me off." The vampire said taking a step closer. "My mother knew that."

The mischief maker jumped up and down laughing. "Wrong Mrs. Ye Mrs was da only one dat kept ye anger a bay."

"My wife?" Angel asked confused. "How do you know my wife?"

"We all know ye wife." The man smiled. "A special lass, dat one."

"Just give. Me. My. Necklace." He said through gritted teeth.

The man shook his head. "Nope."

"Is that… is that a Leprechaun?" Buffy asked rounding the corner.

The short man held his arm out to the side, bowing his head slightly with a smile at the sight of Buffy. When he brought his head back up he looked serious. "We 'afer rainbow addicted little men."

"Really?" The blonde asked confused.

"No." He said seriously then turned back to Angel. "Tink of dis as a favor, for ye are friend not foe."

"My friends don't steal from me." Angel said angrily.

"You're not exactly what I expected." Buffy tilted her head at the man. "I mean, I know things get all misinterpreted all the time but THIS badly? You look more like you belong in Santa's work shop than looking for a pot of gold."

The small man spun around quickly, turning into a blur once again. Angel started towards him but stopped short when the man came to a stop now wearing a green jacket and top hat, white tights and black dress shoes with golden buckles. "Tis better for ye, lass?"

Buffy smiled and nodded. "Looks spiffy."

Angel turned to look at Buffy raising his eyebrows at her. Was she seriously having a polite conversation with the little man who stole his wife's wedding ring?

"…and I don have ta look fo any pot o' gold, have me own, lass." He smiled at her. "Now, ye have bigger tings to worry bout so if ey ascuse me…" He said before spinning around, his blurry figure making its way up the side of the wall as if he was jumping.

"Oh, I don't think so!" Angel shouted and jumped towards the small man, tackling him to the floor.

The man smiled at Angel. "Da way ta a lads heart is gold. Be seein' ye." Suddenly the man vanished leaving a single gold coin on the floor in his place.

Angel picked it up, flipping it over in his finger and rolled his eyes. "He took my wife's wedding ring!"

"Um… Angel." Buffy said nervously. "So have bigger problems right now."

"…and how is that? HE. TOOK. MY. WIFE'S. WEDDING. RING." He said slowly then looked up towards Buffy. "Oh…"

"Yeah…oh." She sighed backing up towards him as a headless man riding a black horse came towards them from the other end of the hallway. He was holding what looked like a whip made of a spine in one hand and a pasty looking head with a creepy smile and black eyes in the other hand. The horse seemed to be controlling itself.

Looking down at the gold coin in his hand, he whispered. "The way to a lads heart is gold…" He waited until the headless rider got closer then tossed the coin into the air and threw it straight towards the rider, embedding it into the creature's chest over his heart. The dark rider turned to dust as the black horse disappeared.

"How…" Buffy looked at Angel in amazement. "How did you know to do that? Have you killed one of those before?"

Angel shook his head. "Something the Leprechaun said before he vanished… the way to a lads heart is gold. He left a gold coin in his place."

"So… he was helping us?" She asked.

"I guess so…" Angel whispered then turned to her fully and said. "But I'm still pissed he took my wife's ring."

"You will get it back." She whispered. She knew how much that ring meant to him, he would get it back no matter what.

"Come on." Angel took her hand, leading her down the stairs. "Wait, didn't I tell you to stay put?"

Buffy shrugged. "But then I started thinking… what if it came back or something else came… which it did."

"You have a point." He nodded. "Okay, it's fine… this time."

"So…" Buffy pursed her lips as he led her down the stairs. "That was like… the Headless Horseman, right?"

"The Headless Horseman is a madeup story." He told her. "That, that was Dullahan, also known as Gan Ceann which means 'without a head' in Irish. That is where the Headless Horseman story comes from. Gold is supposed to scare it away but apparently a little gold to the heart will kill him."

"Apparently?" She asked. "So, you didn't know if it would work?"

Angel shrugged. "I decided to put a little faith in Santa's little helper."

0o0o0

 **Galway Ireland, 1742**

Opening his eyes, he groaned when he felt the bright light of the sun hit his face and a sweet voice. "Oh, I am so sorry, Sir!" before the light was no longer shinning onto him. "How are you feeling, Sir?"

Turning his head, he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, he suddenly wanted to run his fingers through her long blonde hair. He smiled when memories from the night before came back to him. "Pratt." He smiled.

"Yes, Mr. O'Malley." She sat beside him. "I am here."

Running his hand over his face he took a deep breath. "Give me a 'ittle time den me talk ta ye da."

"Excuse me?"

He softly rubbed her arm. "Ey, got ta do dis right…. As' ye da permission ta court ya."

"I…" Pratt shook her head. "I thought you were just… I did not know you were serious."

"O' course me was serious."

"I…" Pratt bit her lip nervously. "My parents have chosen a suitor for me. My parents think statues is very important, what is it that you do? Perhaps if you are of higher …"

"Ey." He shook his head. "Me da say I a layabout… a scoundrel… "

"Oh…" She whispered.

0o0o0

"Da!" He shouted bursting through the door to his family's house, running through the house to find his father. "Da! Da!"

His father stepped into view coming out of the room he shared with his wife, not looking very happy. He was never happy when his son was around. "What tis it boy?!"

"Ah!" He shouted smiling. "I wan' help! Le' me help!"

"You drunk, boy!"

"What tis it?" His mother voice came from behind him with the laundry from the outside line in her hands.

"Oh Ma!" He smiled spinning around, taking her into his arms happily he spun her around. "Met the lass I gonna marry!"

"Liam!" His mother gasped as he set her down. "Wha' ya mean?"

"Me meet 'er last night…"

His father glared at him. "Ya got a lass pregnant, did ya?"

"Na." The smile fell from Liam's face. "Love 'er."

His mother smiled. "Liam!"

"Me need work, Da." He looked at his father with pleading eyes.

His father shook his head. "Ye never take notin'seriously."

"Give da boy a chance, Grá" His mother told her husband.

Liam looked from his mother to his father. "Meetin' 'er da today."

"I happy for ya, Liam!" His mother gushed.

0o0o0

Liam nervously stood before the door in the Tavern, he had never met a girl's father before, not one that he wanted to impress anyway. If he did meet any of their fathers it was by accident and it didn't end well for him. Knocking once he waited, swallowing thickly. The door slowly opened, he smiled when he saw the beautiful familiar face he had been thinking about since he left her. "Mr. O'Malley." She smiled as she stepped aside to let him in. A tall man stood near a table of drinks.

"Liam O'Malley." The man said stiffly turning to look at the young man. "I have heard much about you today from the people of this town…. They either don't like you or you are quite the scoundrel."

Liam quietly scuffed at the sound of the same word coming out of the father of the girl he hoped to wed that came from his own father.

"Which is it?" The man asked.

"Both, Sir." Liam answered the Englishman.

"Well…" The man nodded. "That is something the people of this town did not say of you."

Liam looked towards the man, meeting his gaze. "What tis dat, Sir?"

"Honesty." The man stepped closer to Liam and his daughter. "However, you do not have respect for the people in this town and in return they have no respect for you. If you were to court my daughter the same shame will be brought upon her."

Liam shook his head. "I wouldn' allow…"

"You have no respect for the people in this town, how could you possibly respect my daughter?"

"I respect 'er, Sir." Liam took a step closer to the man. "Ta be honest wit ya, I don' meet lass' da's. I use dem an never tink 'bout dem agan. I can't stop tinkin' bout your daughter, Sir. I am standin' 'ere wit ya 'cause I do respect 'er."

The man smirked and pointed to the couch between them, the two men sat down. "Could you ensure my daughters safety if she were with you? A man with a reputation such as yours must have enemies."

"Ey wouldn't let anyting happen to her, Sir." Liam nodded. "I would die ta keep her safe."

Raising his eyebrows in shock, Mr. Pratt turned to his only daughter. "Is this what you really want, Elizabeth?"

Pratt nodded as she sat beside Liam. "Yes, Father."

"There is talk of Mr. Finn taking a liking to Miss. Madison." He gave his daughter a teasing smile. "I can not say I am fond of this situation but apart from my reputation being far better than this young man, I also knew straight away who I wanted to be my wife." He turned to look at Liam with a hint of a smile. "I give you permission to court my daughter. As for respect, treat my daughter as she deserves… you will have mine."

0o0o0

 **Present Day:**

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Cordelia said later that night when they all met at The Hyperion Hotel. "Buffy is going to live here?"

"With me." Angel nodded.

"Am I the only one who isn't okay with this?" Cordelia asked Wesley and Doyle. "I mean, anyone or any THING can just walk right in here and she is a demon magnet!"

Angel rolled his eyes. "I will be here."

"Exactly! You bring up a great point there!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Irish demons or whatever you want to call them attack her when YOU are around. How is that keeping her safe?"

"Cordelia, if Buffy wants to live here with Angel that is her choice." Wesley stepped in.

Cordelia shook her head. "No, it's not her choice! She is MY best friend and I say NO!"

"Delia, take a deep breath, will ya?" Doyle whispered rubbing the brunettes arm. "I know ya love Buffy and ya want 'er to be safe but is dis cause ya like er round?"

Licking her lips, Cordelia pouted. "Maybe."

"We will still see each other, Cordy." Buffy walked up to her friend, linking arms with her. "We do work together after all."

"Do you really want to move out?" Cordelia whispered.

Buffy shrugged. "It is only a one bedroom apartment and you have Dennis there now."

"Well, why can't Dennis move in here and you stay with me?" Cordelia pouted.

"No!" Angel exclaimed. "No way am I living with him."

Buffy giggled. "I don't think Angel likes him very much."

"Promise we can still do facials and our nails and talk about boys while we watch cheesy movies?"

"I promise." Buffy smiled.

Letting out a deep sigh Cordelia pouted again. "This doesn't mean that I like it." She looked towards Angel and narrowed her eyes. "If anything happens to her you will be seeing the sharp end of a stick, buddy!"


	13. Vampire Falls for Girl

Allison117- Thank you so much! I wanted to do something that, as far as I knew, no one had done with a Bangel story. I hope I am succeeding in that.

I hope you guys like this chapter!

Chapter 13: Vampire Falls for Girl

Buffy shuffled through some papers at the front desk of The Hyperion Hotel, they had officially moved the Angel Investigations office there almost 2 weeks earlier, she was still getting everything organized while the rest of the 'family' handled the cases.

"What is she doing here?" Cordelia asked as she walked out of the bathroom in the lobby and over to the front desk.

Glancing up from her papers, Buffy shrugged. "The same thing as always."

"Wait…" Cordelia held up her hand in front of her and glanced out the lobby doors to the garden. "She comes here a lot?"

Buffy nodded. "Almost every night. Why? Who is she?"

Crossing her arms over her chest Cordelia looked back to the blonde. "Remember the blonde whore…?"

"THAT'S Darla?" Buffy asked shocked.

"Yeah!" Cordelia nodded. "I can't believe she comes here almost every night! Does she come after we leave?"

Buffy nodded. "Sometimes, or occasionally when you are here. I have seen her coming in the back way." She pointed over her shoulder.

"You are kidding, right?" Cordelia asked but didn't wait for an answer. "What do they do when she is here?"

Taking a deep breath, Buffy closed the file she had been organizing. "Talk, I think… sometime, they do this creepy thing where they don't say anything at all and they just watch each other. I try to stay away from them when she is here, I get a not so good vibe from her."

"They watch each other?" Cordelia looked back towards her boss and the blonde vampire. "Creepy."

"Like I said…" Buffy gave her friend a small smile. "Creepy."

"Totally creepy!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Now that we have established that they are creepy, can we move on?" The blonde laughed.

The brunette laughed. "What do you do when she is here doing the creepy watching?" Cordelia asked as she watched Buffy put the file away in its rightful place. Cordelia was no longer allowed to touch the filing cabinet.

"Normally I stay in my room or clean." Buffy shrugged. "I got the kitchen looking pretty good."

"You actually go in the kitchen?" Cordelia shivered. "That place was gross the first and only time I went in there, plus it kind of creeps me out."

"Yes, it WAS gross but it is coming along. Soon I think we will be able to cook in there." Buffy said slightly excited. Okay, so maybe her and Cordelia wouldn't cook in there but someone who knew what they were doing could. Gunn, Wesley, Doyle or maybe even Lorne. Hell, Angel was a better cook than the two girls and he didn't even eat food.

"I am not going in there until Wesley or Lorne do some hocus pocus and get rid of that creepy feeling in there!"

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, Angel said he is pretty sure someone has died in there… actually pretty much every room here."

"Every… room?" Cordelia raised her eyebrows.

Buffy nodded. "Even the lobby. I mean. Angel was hung by an angry mob right there!" She pointed up to the second level of the hotel.

"That is totally morbid that someone would do that but on the plus side, he was already dead!" Cordelia offered.

"True." The blonde shrugged. "Hey, are there any new cases?"

Cordelia shook her head. "Not right now. If things get to slow I'm sure Angel will ask his little girlfriend to throw him something."

Buffy looked up at her from the invoice she was looking at. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah." The brunette nodded. "You know, the blonde that is obsessed with him… not Darla." She pointed over her shoulder. "and… not you either." She shook her head. "The other one, Kate." Cordelia pursed her lips. "I take it you haven't met her yet?"

Buffy shook her head. "I thought Angel didn't date."

"Oh! He doesn't!" Cordelia exclaimed. "It's just that Kate has had the hots for him for years. She wants something to happen between them but Angel makes sure it is clear they are only friends. She is a cop so they help each other out sometimes. Speaking of not having any cases, you are coming to my play this weekend right?"

Buffy nodded. "Yup, and since I can't go anywhere alone, Angel and Wesley are coming with. Doyle said he was going to but then his mom called and said she was coming to town."

"She could come too!" Cordelia exclaimed. "I am going to call him and tell him that!"

Buffy laughed as she watched her friend walk over to her purse and pull out her cell phone. "You know there better not be any demon attacks in the middle of my play just because you are around Angel."

"I hope not." Buffy said as Cordelia turned her attention to her phone.

0o0o0

"We're doomed." Wesley Whispered.

"Maybe we can make a break for it." Angel said in an even tone.

"Impossible." Wesley responded in the same tone.

"Front exit?" Angel asked trying not to show his fear.

"We'd be spotted instantly." Wesley replied.

"Back door?"

Wesley turned his head slightly. "Blocked."

"That's it then." Angel cringed. "We're trapped."

"You guys are terrible!" Buffy exclaimed in a hushed voice as she turned her head slightly to the men beside her then in front of her again.

"We might try shouting 'fire'." Wesley suggested as he looked around, there was a couple near the front of the stage and one person sitting alone in the back. "Not technically a crowded theater."

"Honestly." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Can't you just support our friend?" She turned to Doyle and his mother who were engrossed in the entertainment that was unfolding in front of them. "They are enjoying it."

"Yeah, because Doyle is in love with Cordelia." Angel whispered to the blonde beside him. "and I think his mother is losing her marbles." He made a confused face when he saw Doyle's mother smile as she watched Cordelia stumble over her lines. "Or she has already lost her marbles."

Shaking her head Buffy looked back to her brunette friend on stage wearing an old fashion pretty dress. "One day, yes, I might… many years from now… when I have lost my looks a little. Do not laugh. I mean…" Angel bowed his head watching as Cordelia shook her hand in the air, willing her next line to come to her.

Wesley looked down at his watch. "Only another hour."

"I mean, of course a time will come when Torvald is not… is not…" Cordelia turned her head behind her and whispered. "Line!"

"Is not as devoted to me." Came a voice from behind the stage props.

"Perhaps two." Wesley sighed.

"What?" Cordelia shouted.

"Is not as devoted to me…" The voice came again.

"Oh right! Right." Cordelia turned back to her spot on the stage. "When Torvald is not as devoted to me!" She let out an overly dramatic sob before turning back towards the back of the stage for her next line.

"I thought you worked on her lines with her." Angel whispered to Buffy.

Buffy raised her eyebrows at him. "I did… she was fine when we were practicing."

"She should have taken that commercial instead." Wesley leaned back in his chair. "Then we wouldn't be sitting through THIS."

"She did." Buffy whispered. "Oh, don't mention it by the way… or the word foot model."

"Wait..." Angel looked at Wesley then to Buffy. "Don't mention foot model or don't mention the word foot and the word model?"

Buffy bit her lip. "All of the above."

"Why?" Wesley asked.

"It just… didn't go well." Buffy shrugged. "Turned out they didn't want her face in it at all, just her feet and it kind of… went so bad that it isn't even a commercial anymore, it is going to be a printed ad since they didn't have time to find someone new."

Angel turned back to Cordelia on the stage as she turned once again for her line. "And I thought I knew eternity."

0o0o0

"So!" Cordelia exclaimed as they all walked out of the theater. "What did you think?"

Angel and Wesley looked at each other nervously. "Well, your projection was great." Wesley offered.

Angel nodded. "Yeah, I could hear every word and we were way in the back!"

"Okay, so I was loud." Cordelia nodded looking at her friends as they walked. "But was I any good?"

Wesley looked to Cordelia, slightly afraid, not knowing what to say. "You… took the role and made it your own."

"Really? Thanks!" Cordelia smiled at the British man, when Wesley saw she was happy with his answer he relaxed slightly giving her a smile.

"I better be gettin' mum home." Doyle said glancing towards his mother who actually looked young for her 60 years of age. He smiled at Cordelia. "Delia, you were amazing. Me and mum will be there 'morrow night in the front row."

"Thanks Doyle!" Cordelia smiled. "Thank you for coming Mrs. Doyle."

"Oh, you were wonderful, Love." Smiled the older Irish woman.

"I like her." Cordelia said still smiling as Doyle and his mother walked in the other direction. "Angel, was I good?"

Angel glanced at her then straight ahead. "Uh, I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Thanks!" The Brunette smiled then paused. "You didn't say it."

Angel looked at her in mock surprise. "I didn't?"

Cordelia gasped as she looked across the street. "I don't believe it!"

"Well, hey, you know, I mean… It's a night in the theater I will never forget!" Angel tried to cover.

"That is Oliver Simon!" Cordelia exclaimed.

Wesley looked across the street then to the brunette. "Who?"

"Only one of the most important talent managers in this town!" Cordelia exclaimed. "I was at a party with him once!" She turned to Angel. "You were there."

"Oh, right." Angel paused watching a man across the street walking towards a car checking his watch for the time. "He gave me his card."

"What?" Cordelia exclaimed, offended. "I was working him all night and he gave YOU his card?"

"He thought I had a quality." He nodded in defense.

Buffy rolled her eyes at Angel with a slight smile before Cordelia gasped again. "And look who he is with! Rebecca Lowell!" They all watched a thin dark-haired woman in a short red dress walking towards the man Cordelia had said was Oliver Simon.

"Who?" Wesley asked again.

"Raven!" Cordelia shouted. "She played Raven in On Your Own. BIG hit TV Show that was only on for like nine and a half years! Does anyone here even own a television?"

"Um.. I…" Wesley started.

"I don't" Angel said simply was he watched a dark green old car turn on, as the woman neared the street.

"I have been homeless." Buffy shook her head. "But I started watching it on Netflix at the apartment though. It was good."

"It was a seminal show." Cordelia continued to explain the show to the two men who hadn't seen it. "Cancelled by the idiot network. I was going to picket them but I didn't have any comfortable…. shoes." She trailed off as Angel went running, jumping onto the hood of a car parked next to them and into the street to get to the woman as the dark car drove straight for the actress. Pushing the woman out of the way, the car came in contact with Angel.

"Angel!" Buffy and Cordelia scream at the same time as he made contact with the hood, rolled over the wind shield and went flying into the air.

"Oh my god, Rebecca." Oliver Simon said in shock as he ran over to her. "Are you alright darling?"

A crowd of people ran over to the actress as Wesley, Cordelia and Buffy ran to Angel. Cordelia and Wesley grabbed him by the arms as he got himself up from the ground. "Oh my god! What was she like?" Cordelia gasped.

Angel gave Cordelia an annoyed look as Buffy looked Angel over to see if he was bleeding. "Are you okay?"

"Excuse me." Called a soft voice. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, he is fine." Cordelia assured the dark-haired actress, stepping in front of Angel. "It was SUCH an honor to save your life Miss. Lowell."

"Um, thank you." She nodded at Cordelia then turned to Angel. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Cordelia Chase!" She smiled. "I'm so glad you weren't…Oh." Cordelia let out a small laugh when she saw Rebecca looking at Angel. "He doesn't even know who you are." She motioned to Angel as she stepped out of the way.

"You don't know me?" She asked Angel.

"Sure, he doesn't." Oliver commented walking but behind the starlet, not believing it. "I'm sure he will take a small reward anyway." He searched his jacket for his check book.

"No thanks." Angel shook his head at the man.

The older man raised his eyebrow at Angel. "We're not gonna be held up here."

"Oliver, down." Rebecca told him. "He doesn't even know who I am."

Cordelia nodded. "He's culturally retarded that way."

Rebecca held out her hand to him. "I'm Rebecca."

"Angel." He nodded as he shook her hand.

"You make a habit of this, Angel?"

"Oh, it's only his purpose in life!" Cordelia said excitedly. "Angel's the Dark Avenger… but not too dark. A happy dark. I have a card in here somewhere." She started to search her bag.

"Cordelia…" Wesley whispered.

Cordelia looked to the British man confused. "What?"

"Oh god!" Rebecca said seeing the camera all around her. "Who called ET?"

Wesley looked around the crowd. "Emma Thompson?"

"Entertainment Tonight, Doofus!" Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"They are here for the party." Oliver told her. "It is going to be all over the tabs come morning, Bec." Rebecca shook her head and Oliver looked around at all the reporters. "We might as well put our own spin on it, right?"

"Look, I would like to apologize." Rebecca said as she looked up towards Angel, only to find he wasn't there.

"Oh, he does that." Cordelia reassured her as she held out a card. "This is our card, if you need any more rescuing or want to pal around… or something. Call us!"

Wesley grabbed Cordelia by the arm and pulled her away as Buffy walked behind them.

0o0o0

"I made the paper!" Cordelia shouted excitedly the next morning as she walked into The Hyperion.

Wesley picked up his cup of coffee making his way over to her to see the paper in her hand. "Really? There was a reviewer from the Times at your play?"

"What?" Cordelia asked dropping her smile. "No! Like a reviewer needs to see a hundred-year old play. The thing with Rebecca Lowell, I'm in the picture."

Buffy walked over, peaking over her friend's shoulder at the picture. "Where?"

"Right there!" She pointed to the picture.

"Where?" Wesley repeated Buffy's question taking the paper in his hands to get a closer look. Buffy looked closer as well.

"Right there!" She pointed again. "Next to Rebecca! That's my elbow!"

"Guys, can we just forget about Rebecca Lowell?" Angel asked shutting the file cabinet and walking towards his three employees. "I mean, we ran into an actor, it's Hollywood, it happens." He glanced over Wesley's shoulder to look at the paper. "We have a nice picture of Cordelia's… elbow and an article about me saving a TV star." He said walking towards his office. "Just because the paper wants to make it…"

"There is no mention of you." Wesley told him.

"What?" Angel stopped and walked closer to Wesley.

Wesley shook his head. "Nothing."

"Oh… well… that's good, right?" He said skimming the article. "I mean this high-profile thing isn't really our deal anyway." He handed the paper back to Wesley.

"What are you talking about?" Cordelia asked. "Rebecca Lowell hasn't had a series since On Your Own was cancelled and that was a season and a half ago."

"And they say there are no seasons in Los Angeles." Buffy joked earning a smile from Wesley.

"We have to use this now before she is just another E! True Hollywood story!" Cordelia said ignoring Buffy. "When word gets out that you are the protector of the stars people are going to be lining up out the door!"

"Glad I beat the crowd then." The four looked towards the door where Rebecca Lowell stood with two bodyguards.

"Oh, my god. No." Cordelia whispered to herself then turned around to face the actress. "I didn't mean that… Coffee? Tea? …. We don't have anything good here… but uh, our intern..." she motioned to Wesley. "…would be happy to get you something Miss. Lowell."

Wesley crossed his arms offended and looked towards Buffy who just shrugged. She had been feeling like she wasn't even in the same room as them since last night. Wesley was the only one who was acting normal. After Angel left them in the middle of the street he hadn't talked to her. They walked her back to The Hyperion, Cordelia rambling on about Rebecca Lowell the whole time. When they got there, she couldn't find Angel but she knew he was there so she went straight to her room.

"Can we talk?" Rebecca asked Angel, ignoring everyone else.

"Sure." Angel nodded. "Right in here."

Rebecca turned to her bodyguards and simply said. "Stay."

Moving out of the way, Angel allowed her to walk into his office, he looked towards his employees. "Stay."

0o0o0

"What do you think they are talking about?" Cordelia asked as she paced in the hotel lobby. She paused to look into the large window of Angel's office. "They have been in there for a while… what do you think they are talking about?"

"We heard your question the first hundred times you asked Cordy." Buffy sighed as she watched Cordelia from her spot on the couch. "We don't know… unless someone here can read lips…"

"I actually can." One of Rebecca's bodyguards spoke up. "But it would be against Miss. Lowell's wishes to do so."

"Right." Buffy nodded. If only he could tell Cordelia SOMETHING so she would shut up.

"Can't believe ya met a tv star wen we left last nigh'." Doyle shook his head and looked over to his mother who was sitting at Cordelia's desk reading a book. They had gotten there not long after Rebecca had.

"Yup." Buffy nodded. "You missed all the fun of Angel getting hit by a car and Cordelia making a fool out of herself."

"I did not!" Cordelia shouted.

Buffy sat up straighter when she heard the door to Angel's office open and Rebecca walked out, heading straight for the exit, without a word her bodyguards followed.

0o0o0

Everyone quietly listened to Angel talk, Cordelia began to pace around Angel's office, Wesley and Doyle stood next to each other leaning against the wall. Buffy crossed her arms as she stood towards the back of the room.

"My first big connection to Hollywood and you practically throw her out of the office!" Cordelia stopped pacing in front of Angel's desk. "Haven't you ever heard of Networking?!"

"Cordelia." Wesley whispered.

"No!" She turned to Wesley. "He can fight off Donkey Demons who rips people… GUTS out but he can't help ONE defenseless actress from a psycho?" She turned to Angel. "What is your thing?"

"He likes her." Buffy spoke up sounding as if she was trying to hide that she was sad.

Angel looked up at Buffy, slightly shaking his head. He and Buffy had gotten pretty close since she called him when Phantom Dennis was no longer a Phantom and very much alive. He didn't know when it had started but they often held hands when no one was around and sat together reading. It didn't feel wrong to hold her in his arms and read to her. Buffy was right though, there was something about Rebecca Lowell that he liked. "Buffy, no... I…"

Buffy shook her head and turned to Cordelia. "He is afraid of getting too close."

"Why?" The brunette asked. "Just help me!"

"The only person who needs help here is Miss. Lowell." Wesley told Cordelia.

"Yeah!" Cordelia nodded. "He could help both if us." She turned to Angel. "Think of the karma points!"

"This may not be the right case for you." Wesley said making his way closer to Angel's desk. "Maybe we can find someone else to help her."

"Wait!" Cordelia exclaimed looking at Doyle. "He is having a vision!"

Doyle looked at her confused. "What?"

She gave him a pointed look, he nodded and gasped in pain and he held his head in his hands. "A woman… Rebecca. She is in danger!" One eye popped open to see if anyone was buying it, when no one seemed to believe him, he stood up straight. "Sorry Delia."

"Great!" She shouted. "Just great! Because of Mr. Distance Intimacy Issues I lose my brush with fame!"

"Oh jeez, Cordelia!" Angel exclaimed. "She is just a person."

"Spoken like a true non-person." Cordelia said sitting down across from Angel's desk. "Just knowing a star makes your life better, I would do anything to live in her world!"

0o0o0

"Um… hey…" Angel said quietly as he walked up to the front desk where Buffy was sitting behind the counter at her own desk.

She looked up at him. "Hey." She said in almost a whisper. "You heading out?"

"What?" He asked. How did she know he was thinking about going out?

"To meet with Rebecca." She filled in, getting up from her desk and walking to the front desk. "You are taking the case, right?"

Angel shook his head.

"Yes, you are." She opened a folder to busy her hands. "and not because Cordelia finally cracked you either because you like her."

Angel shook his head again. "No…"

"Yes." She nodded. "You like her Angel and that is okay. You can be happy, you know?"

Looking down at the file in her hands, he shook his head. "That goes against everything I swore not to do in the past two hundred…"

"Angel, get over it." She said looking up at him, he frowned at her. "I'm sorry but really, whatever it is… get over it. I know you love your wife but she would want you to be happy so go help Rebecca and if that turns into something more for the both of you then it does. You can't go around for the rest of forever like this. As your friend, I can't let you, be with the one that you love…"

Angel shook his head, cutting her off. "I don't love Rebec…"

"Whoever it may be." She added. "Rebecca, Darla, Kate… it doesn't matter." Buffy took a deep breath. "Just be happy, I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy, Angel. Plus, you will just be walking around here crying…"

"I don't cry."

"Fine, brood." She gave him a pointed look. "I know you do that one and as your friend I just can't allow it."

"I…" Angel paused as he watched Buffy for a moment. "If I go JUST to check on her right now, what about you?"

Buffy swallowed thickly. "What… what about me?"

"I don't feel right about leaving you here alone."

"Oh…" She nodded. "Right. It's fine."

"I can call Doyle."

Buffy shook his head. "He is with his mom."

"I'll call Doyle."

"Angel, his mom isn't here for much longer." She said softly, she would feel bad if she took time away from Doyle and his mother. "I will be fine by myself."

"It's my job to protect you, Buffy." He told her firmly.

Buffy let out a short laugh. "You weren't exactly protecting me last night when you just took off or when Wesley and Cordelia walked me back here and I had to deal with the torture of listening to Cordelia go on and on about Rebecca. Although, I kind of welcomed that vampire attack because Cordelia FINALLY shut up."

"Are… are you mad?" He asked. He hadn't even thought about the fact that he had left Buffy there, sure she was with Cordelia and Wesley and even though they both knew how to defend themselves, they didn't have demon strength on their side. "Wait, there was a vampire attack? No one told me that."

Buffy shrugged then paused for a second, looking down at her hands. "No… no, I'm ...not..."

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Yeah, whatever." She shrugged. Being jealous was new to her. "You should go."


	14. Liquid Courage

Allison117- I agree, way too many women that are making Buffy jealous, and they are all blonde! Thank you for the review!

Sassy.B93- Jealous Buffy is fun. lol

 **Warning** : In the words of Buffy "This is not going to be pretty, we're talking violence, strong language, adult content…", in other words, that **NC-17** that I mentioned before, happens here.

If I have time, I will post another chapter tonight, if not, I will probably be back to update on Monday. I hope you like this chapter and don't forget to review!

Chapter 14: Liquid Courage

"So, wait… He took the case?" Cordelia asked sitting in the chair across from Angel's desk where Wesley was sitting in Angel's chair.

"Yes." Wesley said looking down at some papers at Angel's desk. "He called early this morning, he wants us to follow up on the stolen car that tried to hit Miss. Lowell."

Cordelia played with her bracelets as she watched Wesley write on the papers in front of him. "What made him change his mind?"

"I don't know." Wesley shrugged looking up at her. "He didn't say."

"Must have been you, Cor." Buffy smiled as she walked up to Angel's desk, leaning against it near Wesley.

Cordelia huffed as she looked up at Buffy. "Please, he isn't doing this to help me." She looked back to Wesley. "You said he called early this morning?"

Wesley nodded. "Yes. Isn't this what you were lobbying for? He is helping you by helping Miss Lowell."

"How early?" Cordelia questioned.

"Fairly early." Wesley answered. "Why?"

Cordelia eyed him. "Did he spend the night?"

"One would assume."

"And he left you all alone here?" She looked to the blonde looking down at the papers Wesley was working on.

"Doyle is here." Buffy nodded towards the stairs in the lobby. "He is still passed out. His mother is here too, she slept in Angel's room while I had the pleasure of Doyle camping out in my room. Did anyone else know he snores? He should really see a doctor about that."

"He would need to find a specialist." Wesley commented. "What if he sneezed and his demon form came to surface."

Buffy smiled. "That could take some explaining."

"Hello!" Cordelia yelled. "Getting off topic here! Angel spent the night with the fantasy of MILLIONS!... 'protecting' her."

"What is with the quotations?" Buffy asked.

"You said it yourself!" Cordelia scuffed. "He likes her, this is the first person he has liked in like… forever! I'm sure they didn't just sit around having tea and crackers all night."

Buffy looked down at her feet. "Oh."

"Sorry Buffy, I know you have this big thing for him but it is obvious he doesn't feel the same way!" Cordelia exclaimed. "He likes Rebecca!"

Buffy nodded and walked out of Angel's office, heading upstairs as Wesley and Cordelia watched her.

"Do you always have to be so rash?" Wesley asked the brunette.

0o0o0

Buffy walked down the stairs with Doyle's mother, she had spent the day with the older woman playing games and talking. She was a very nice woman, someone Buffy would have liked her own mother to be more like, also she seemed to be a master at every board game, card game and checkers!

"Angel's not back yet?" Buffy asked Wesley as he walked by with a folder in his hands looking at a paper in it. She looked around for the tall vampire.

"Huh?" Wesley looked up from his paper. "Oh, no. It seems as though he is going to a premier with Miss Lowell tonight."

"Wow." Buffy let out a short laugh. "Red carpets already, huh? Angel doesn't even like people, must be serious."

Wesley closer the manila folder in his hands and turned to look at Buffy. "It's his job, Buffy." He said gently. "Just another case."

"I was just another case too." She said with a sad smile.

Mrs. Doyle gave Buffy a sad smile and rubbed the blondes back, they had talked a lot during the day and Angel and her feelings for him had come up a few times. It was nice being able to talk to someone about it, it was almost like having a mother again.

"Look, Buffy…." Cordelia started as she walked towards Buffy from behind the counter. "I'm sorry about…."

"It's fine, Cordelia." Buffy nodded giving the brunette a quick glance. "You're right. Well, we…" She looked towards the older woman then to Wesley. "…are going to finish up the kitchen and then tomorrow morning Gunn is going to come over so we can go to the store and get stocked up on food."

"If Gunn is coming over can't he track down the stolen car?" Cordelia asked Wesley. She hated doing leg work, she was wearing her favorite heels!

"Actually, we already have it." Wesley held up the folder. "I gave Kate a ring and she tracked it down for me, it appears the car was towed the same night Angel saved Miss. Lowell."

"So, someone stole the car just to hit Rebecca and then dumped it off somewhere?" Cordelia asked as Buffy and Doyle's mother went into the kitchen.

"Seems that way." Wesley answered her.

0o0o0

"I can't believe someone attacked her at the premier." Wesley said to Angel sitting down across from him in Angel's office. "How is she handling it?"

"She is pretty shaken up." Angel told him. "I had to give my statement to the police, I saw Kate while I was there and asked her to send over the reports from last night."

"Yes." Wesley nodded holding up a large envelope. "She dropped off the preliminary forensic report shortly ago, she seemed slightly upset that you weren't here to receive them."

"Did you explain to her that I was with a client?" He asked.

Wesley nodded again. "Yes, I did but let's face it Angel… you spent the night with Miss. Lowell two nights in a row, I think it is safe to say this is something more."

Angel shook his head. "I can't go there, Wes. I won't."

"It seems as though you already have." Wesley opened the envelope and pulled out the papers Kate had given him. "This is interesting. You might like to know that the bullets from last night's shooting were…"

"Blanks." Angel said for him.

"No, I'm afraid they were…" Wesley looked up at his boss. "…. blanks."

Angel nodded. "The shots were never connected. I went back last night, there were no bullet holes, no chipped paint. Nothing."

"Since when do killers use blanks?" Wesley wondered out loud.

"When he's not a killer." Angel suggested. "When it's a fake."

"Miss. Lowell…"

Angel shook his head. "I don't think she knows and I don't know how to tell her."

"Well, this is a good thing, isn't it?" Wesley asked leaning forward.

"That depends on what is going to bother her more…" He glanced away from Wesley for a moment. "…being stalked or not being stalked."

Wesley leaned back into the chair shaking his head. "Actresses."

"Tell me about it."

0o0o0

Angel walked out of his room, he needed to go tell Rebecca what they had figured out. He still didn't know exactly how he was going to tell her that it was all fake, she wasn't being stalked at all. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Rebecca walking down the hall towards him with a bag in her hand. "I was just coming to see you."

"There was no one downstairs… well, actually there was a blonde but I decided not to disturb her. She seemed to be in a very heated conversation with… some books…." The dark-haired actress pointed towards the stairs. "So, I just came up, I hope that is okay."

"Uh, yeah." He stepped back towards the door leading into his room. "Come on in." He wasn't surprised that Buffy was hitting the books, whenever they had down time the both of them were always reading. What exactly Rebecca meant about a heated conversation, he didn't know. Sometimes he and Buffy would randomly start talking about what they were reading but he hadn't seen her all day and why would she be talking about the books when no one was there. The only thing he could think of was that Rebecca was making a crack at Buffy without trying to come off like she was. He got the feeling Rebecca didn't like Buffy, she had made comments about 'the little blonde' while he was with her the past few days.

"I went shopping with Cordelia to… get you a thank you gift." She smiled walking in, she looked around his room. "but what do you get a guy who has already seen everything? So, I figured, what's better than Dom?" She asked pulling out a bottle of champagne from her shopping bag. "You can… I mean you do…"

"Yeah!" Angel nodded. "I can drink other… liquids."

"Good." She smiled. "Have you got glasses?"

"Yeah, yeah." He motioned to the couch behind him. "Please, sit down" Walking into his kitchenette, he looked in the cupboards, he had glasses but not champagne glasses. "Just a minute, I will check downstairs for some champagne glasses, one of my employees just went shopping this morning to get a bunch of stuff, I will see if she got any glasses. Maybe some ice too."

The actress smiled as she watched Angel leave the room. "Okay."

Angel hurried down the stairs into the lobby on his way to the kitchen when he heard a surprised scream, he looked up to see Buffy breathing heavy with her hand over her heart.

"You scared me!" She said taking a deep breath. "I didn't know you were here." Why didn't she know he was here? She always knew when he was around, she still didn't know how she knew but she just did.

"Got here just before dawn." He nodded then continued his path to the newly useable kitchen. "You got champagne glasses, didn't you?"

"Champagne glasses?" She asked following him into the kitchen. "What do you need those for?"

"Rebecca brought over some Champagne." He told her opening the fridge. "and some ice?"

"Oh…" Buffy bit her lip. "Ice is in the freezer." She walked over to the counter and opened a box. "I wouldn't exactly call them champagne glasses but…" She offered him two wine glasses.

Angel glanced over at her as he picked up an ice bucket from the counter and looked in it. Maybe Buffy has been serious about the whole demon hotel thing, why else would she get ice buckets? "Those will work." He quickly filled the bucket with the ice, grabbed it off the counter and turned to her to take the glasses from her. "Thanks." He nodded as he left the kitchen.

"Sure." She whispered as she watched him leave.

0o0o0

"Hello, Sweetheart!" Buffy looked up from her computer at her desk to see Lorne entering the hotel. "Where is everyone?" The green demon glanced around the hotel lobby. "You are here so I am guessing you aren't alone."

Buffy shook her head. "Doyle just left to take his mom to the airport and Angel is upstairs with Rebecca. As for anyone else, I have no idea."

"Angel is upstairs with Rebecca?" Lorne asked. "In his room?"

Buffy nodded, getting up to walk closer to him. "She brought champagne."

"You're kidding!" Lorne exclaimed. "Well, would you look at that… and that!" He widened his eyes and pointed at her. "What is with the school girl look?"

"It's not a school girl look." Buffy laughed, glancing down at her mini skirt and button up baby blue shirt. "I think it is cute. I picked it up when I went out with Gunn, he did NOT approve."

"I can see why, you are showing an awful lot of skin…" Lorne glanced around the lobby again. "…this have anything to do with a certain vampire we both now?"

Buffy's eyes got large. "What? No!" She shook her head quickly. "Rebecca can totally have him."

Lorne narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. "I don't believe you. You have been jonesing for Angelcakes since the second you saw him, there is no way you would give up that easily."

"Cordelia made it very clear that he has feelings for Rebecca." She shrugged. "Not me."

"Since when did Cordelia jump of the Team Buffy Train?" The friendly demon asked. "Last I knew she was pushing for you two crazy kids to get together!"

"It's been a whole 48 hours since you have been here, Lorne." Buffy teased him. "Things move fast where there is a TV star involved."

"Must be." Lorne shook his head. "I can't believe Queen C would turn on her best friend like that… and all because of some Hollywood star."

"I don't blame her, Lorne." The blonde picked up a pen off the counter behind her, twirling it between her fingers. "She is an actress, Rebecca can help her get to where she wants to be. It's okay. I understand."

"I don't!" He exclaimed taking a step closer to her. "Are you going to be okay here? I want to go find out what is going on with our little actress."

"Of course, I'm fine." She nodded. "I just have a little work to do and then I am going to head to bed." She looked over at the filing cabinet before she went over to pull a folder out as she hummed the tune of a song that had been stuck in her head all day.

Lorne turned around to face her as he was walking up the steps. The green demon shook his head, blinking a few times. "Uh, Buffy… um..."

She smiled, her smile dropped when she saw the serious look still on Lorne's face. "Are you okay?"

Lorne nodded and took a step back. "Yeah… Buffy have you..."

"Oh god!" Buffy exclaimed. "Lorne, did you just read me? You did, didn't you?"

"Actually… no." Lorne shook his head, his mouth hanging over slightly then quickly said. "I need to talk to Angel."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "If you didn't read me then why do you need to talk to Angel so badly? …. He is with Rebecca, he isn't going to see you."

"You said Doyle was at the airport?"

Buffy nodded but stopped herself. "Lorne, what is it? You're freaking me out."

"I am going to see how my good friend Doyle is…" Lorne turned to leave but Buffy hurried around him.

"You DID read me, tell me!" Buffy said with large eyes.

"I didn't read you, Buffy." He said stepping around her to the door.

"Wait!" She shouted after him. "You are going to go to the airport?"

Lorne stopped, was he going to go to the airport? There was only so many times he could use the mascot excuse for his appearance. "I will stop by Gunn's first." He whispered to himself then turned his head to Buffy. "Stay safe, Sweetheart."

Buffy let out a breath, blowing a few strains of hair away from her face as the air escaped her lips. "Why won't you tell me?"

0o0o0

Buffy took a deep breath as she looked over the Rebecca Lowell case. "So, it was the manager that did it, NOT the butler." She whispered to herself. It was still bothering her that Lorne had read her without her permission and he wouldn't even tell her what it was but she had work to do, she needed to get Miss. Lowell's case filed, she didn't need to do any of the billing paperwork though because Wesley had informed her before he left that Angel wasn't going to charge. Of course not, why charge his millionaire girlfriend. "I'm not bitter… I'm not. Okay, maybe I am a little." She said out loud. "What kind of person doesn't charge someone who could buy her own Country! Oh, he isn't a person at all so I guess that explains it." Buffy pouted. "It has nothing to do with the fact that I like him…. Because I…I don't. I totally don't. Oh God!" She shouted, hitting her head on her desk with a thump. "I totally like him still! I'm stupid." She banged her head onto her desk. "Stupid…stupid…stupid."

Her head shot up when she heard a scream. She got up from her desk quickly and ran upstairs to where it sounded like it had come from. Buffy stopped when she was a few feet from the Angel's door. "What if they were… no, that totally sounded like a scream of pain… unless they were both into that…" For a moment, she was torn between going in there and minding her own business but her mind was made up when she heard a crash and another scream. She opened the door quickly to find Rebecca trying to pick herself up from the floor, a knocked over end table beside her.

"I'm sorry…" Rebecca cried. "I'm so sorry."

"Everyone is so sorry!" Angel shouted with a fake cry, mocking the actress on the floor.

Buffy's brow creased, she had never seen Angel act like that before. "Miss. Lowell, are you alright?"

Angel and Rebecca both looked up towards the door. "Run!" The actress cried. "He is going to kill us!"

Buffy jumped back when Angel swiftly kicked Rebecca in the midsection. He looked down at Rebecca then at Buffy with an evil smirk on his face. "I'll give you a head start…"

With wide eyes Buffy took off down the hallway to the stairs, when she tried to run down the stairs something pushed her back causing her to fall back to the floor. "What the hell?" Looking over her shoulder she didn't see Angel so she slowly got to her feet only to see him stalk out of the room, still wearing that evil smirk. Looking around again she ran down the hallway away from Angel to the stairs leading up.

Once she got to the top of the stairs she ran up another flight of stairs hoping he wouldn't know where she went, when she got to the top of the stairs there was an old table thrown in the stairway going up another level so she ran down the hall and ducked into a room.

"Oh, come on Buff!" She heard him shout from her spot behind a broken couch. "It's not fun when you're not afraid." Buffy bit her lip, why wasn't she afraid? She should be afraid! He probably already killed Rebecca when she was running away and now he was going to kill her. She shouldn't have just left Rebecca there to fend for herself. "Come out, come out where ever you are." Came his sing song voice clearly, he was in the room. "I know you're in here, Buff. I can smell you." He took a big sniff of the air. "…but I don't smell fear, do I…" He leaned over the broken couch to look at her. "Buff!"

Buffy gasped and tried to get up to run but he grabbed her by the back of the neck, forcing her against the wall. He pressed himself up against her back, sniffing her hair. "You know what I do smell?" Buffy closed her eyes tightly as he ran his hand down her thigh and back up again not stopping until his hand was under her skirt cupping her ass. "You want me." Letting out a labored breath Buffy shook her head. "Don't deny it, Buff. I can smell it. You're not afraid of me at all but you do want me to fuck you."

Pulling her away from the wall he turned her around, slamming her roughly against the wall again, he looked down at her shirt, a few buttons had come undone. He smiled as he looked down her shirt and trailed his hand up the front of her skirt. "Just tell me… tell me that you want me." He slipped his finger into her panties. "Even if you don't tell me…" He wiggled his finger, slipping it into her wet heat. "…I already know." He leaned forward quickly, kissing her roughly only to pull back completely when he felt a burst of energy go through him. "What the fuck was that?"

"I… I don't know…" Buffy whispered.

Angel narrowed his eyes are her. "You felt it too?"

Buffy licked her lips nervously and nodded. It felt like… she didn't know what it felt like but it was nothing she had ever felt before. It was really strong. "Kiss me again."

"I knew it." He smiled shaking his finger at her. "You want me."

She gasped when she felt his hands on her body again, one hand grasping her thigh and the other trailed up her back and roughly pulled her hair, pulling her face up towards his before he kissed her heatedly. Angel's face scrunched up in concentration when he felt the energy once again but refused to pull away from the blonde who currently had her tongue in his mouth. After a long moment, Buffy pulled away breathlessly, whispering "I want you."

"That's my girl." Angel smiled when she lightly pushed him back but wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down for another heated kiss, he linked his arm under the back of her knee bringing it up to his waist. She moaned when she felt his manhood press into her. She hooked her leg around his waist as he brought his hands up to the opening of her shirt, ripping it open causing the small white buttons to go flying across the room. Breaking the kiss, he smiled, lowering his head to her bra covered chest he kissed the tops of her cleavage softly as he hooked his finger in her bra between her breasts. Pulling down quickly he ripped the light pink lingerie. Buffy smiled as the pink bra fell from her body despite the fact that it was her favorite.

Picking her up swiftly she wrapped her legs around his waist as he backed up, spinning around he slammed her into the wall that was now behind her. She gasped when he pulled her short skirt up, squeezing her ass with both hands. "Tell me, Grá… is it a matching set?" He whispered as he slipped his hands under the thin band of her thong.

Buffy bit her lip as she gyrated her hips against him and nodded. She let out a short laugh when she felt it tear away from her body. "Mr. Distructo, much."

He kissed her one more time before setting her back down on her feet onto the floor, he took a step back looking her up and down. His gaze fell on her high chest and her perfect nipples down to her tight stomach, her blue flared mini skirt barely covering her ass, down her shapely legs and her cute little feet in a pair of white pumps. "I like you better like this." He smirked giving her a firm push.

She landed on the floor with a soft "umph", with her legs slightly open. She hadn't expected him to push her.

Letting out a short laugh he unbuttoned his pants, pulling his shirt out of the waist band and over his head, tossing it across the room. "Get ready to scream, Grá."

Buffy smiled, leaning back on the palms of her hands. "You talk too much."

"I… talk too much?" He asked lunging towards her as soon as he had his pants and shoes off. "You are one to talk, Miss. Fuckin' Motor Mouth! You're like Cordelia, no one can get a damned word in!"

"I am like Cordelia?" Buffy asked offended. She loved Cordelia, she really did but ever since they met Rebecca she needed some time away from the brunette. "Please!"

"You're right, Cordelia is fucking awful!" He shouted. "Of course, a time will come when Trovalt is not as devoted to me…" He mocked. "Line! She sucked, admit it Buff. I should really tell her to give up on this pipe dream, no one is going to take her seriously."

"Angel…" Buffy said softly. She couldn't believe what he was saying about their friend.

"Task task." He clicked his tongue. "The names Angelus."

"What?"

"You know what she should do?" He smiled. "Have 'Raven' coach her then she would REALLY suck!"

"So, you… you didn't…?" Buffy trailed off afraid of what his answer might be.

"You… you… you didn't…" He mocked Buffy. "What? Kill the bitch?" He shook his head. "Should have but I wanted you soooo much more."

"Pity." Buffy shrugged teasingly, playing along. "I mean, I don't really like the woman myself."

"Mmm." He smiled. "I will make sure to kill her after I fuck you so hard you can't walk straight."

Using all of her strength she pushed him backwards, he was surprised when he found himself on his back. It was very rare that someone so small, a human could do that. He was even more surprised when she climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. "You talk too much." She repeated. "Shut up."

Pulling her down to him he smashed her lips against his and flipped them so he was on top again. "Don't think for a second you are in control." He hissed out through clenched teeth right before he slammed his manhood into her welcoming body.

Buffy gasped, arching her body up against his when she felt him stretching her inner walls.

"Fuck, you are…" He stopped mid-sentence, gasping for unneeded air to fill his dead lungs. The feeling of being inside her was almost too much to take. He felt as if his whole body was on fire and he would turn to ash at any second. He paused when he heard a loud booming sound coming from outside. "What the fuck was that?"

Buffy looked up at the ceiling. "What was that?"

After a moment, he shrugged, the need to be one with Buffy was too great. He couldn't stay still any longer, he welcomed the burning sensation that was taking over his body. He began to thrust inside of her, looking down at her, he could see her flushed cheeks. "You feel that too?"

"Fee…feel what?" She gasped out followed by a moan.

"I feel…" He winced as he thrust inside of her harder. "I feel like I am on fire."

Buffy nodded frantically.

He pulled back on to his knees, hooking his arms under the back of her knees he pushed her higher and he continued to pound into her. "Strong…"

Buffy gasped.

"Powerful." He grunted.

Sitting up Buffy frantically kissed him as her hands roamed his body, meeting his every thrust. "Perfect."

Angel nodded.

A high-pitched screech pierced through the air causing the couple to pause for a second but soon Buffy couldn't take it, she started moving her hips against his and kissing his chest then his neck. He responded to her just as she wanted him to, thrusting back into her until she fell back down to the floor screaming his name as she came. His mouth fell open and his eyes rolled back into his head as he felt her walls squeezing around him, he didn't stop. He watched her come down from her high continuing to pound into her.

"Oh God!" She gasped.

Angel smirked as he lay on top of her. "Is that what you are calling me now? First Angel, now God?" He laughed.

"Don't stop." She murmured.

"Wasn't planning on it, Grá." He smirked, reaching down to rub her clit causing Buffy to gasp again.

Letting out a moan to rolled her hips. "Harder."

"My girl likes it rough, huh?" He smiled, doing exactly what she asked, suddenly he stopped. His whole body went still, his head falling down to her chest as he rested. Buffy looked at him strangely, wondering what was wrong. He looked up at her questioningly. "Buff… Buffy?" He whispered. "What… " He looked down at her naked chest. "Little One?" He glanced back up at her face, placing both her hands on his cheeks she pulled him down to her in a heated kiss. After a moment, he responded to her, kissing her feverishly. When she pulled away breathing heavy, he watched her for a moment before he slowly began moving inside of her again. "You feel… amazing." He whispered touching his forehead to hers.

Buffy nodded, gasping as she arched her back pushing her chest up higher. He lowered his head taking a pink nipple into his mouth, sucking gently before releasing it and moving to the other one. He moved up gently kissing her on her mouth. He rested his head on her shoulder as his hips gently continued a slow even rhythm. He didn't know what came over him when he felt his face begin to shift and his fangs began to grow. Breathing her in once more he lifted his head slightly, biting down onto her neck. Her hands roaming his body suddenly stopped as she dug her finger nails into his back, scratching down his back leaving red welts in their path. She slowly bent her leg up his, kicking her leg out as she once again reached her orgasm, her foot made contact with a wooden coffee table, breaking it in half before it went flying across the room, knocking over an end table and hitting the wall. The wall shook with such force that a glass chandelier fell to the floor, smashing. Suddenly all the walls began to shake, all the old dusty painting and chunks of wall plaster began to fall. She pulled his face further into her neck urging him to keep drinking from her, he wrapped his arms around her mid-section pulling her closer. He didn't want to stop drinking her blood, he couldn't get enough of her but he also didn't want to drain her. It had been so long since he drank from a human he shouldn't trust himself but for some reason he knew he wouldn't go too far with her. He took one more gulp from her when he heard her moan before pulling away from her, his face shifting back into its human form. He licked her wounded neck a few times before pulling further away from her neck. He had come along with Buffy, it was the most intense feeling he had ever experienced but when he drank from her it was pure bliss. This is what the other vampires had been talking about, what was missing when he had tried it with Darla wasn't missing with Buffy.

Looking up at him she lightly ran her thumb over some of her blood that was running off his lip, he turned his head slightly, bringing her thumb into his mouth sucking the blood off of the digit. Pulling him down to her, she kissed him, not caring that there were still traces of her own blood on the vampire's lips.

Rolling off the beautiful blonde he laid on the floor beside her, he felt her curl up next to him using his head as a pillow, falling asleep immediately. A few moments later Buffy began to stir in her sleep, Angel looked down at her, wondering what was the matter. Her face scrunched up in the most adorable way as she moved as close to him as she could. "Liam…" She whispered.

Angel looked down at her in shock.

0o0o0

"Shit!" Gunn shouted looking at the scene in front of him.

Cordelia's eyes widened. "What the hell is going on?"

"Well, don't look at me!" Wesley looked at his friends. "I know just as much as you do!"

"This isn't good." Doyle commented as they all watched different types of demons approach them. Some walking, some crawling on all fours and a few of them flying.

They had all been coming back from the airport after dropping Doyle's mother off and saying their goodbyes when they saw a bright light, they thought it could be something demonic so they followed it. They started to get worried when they saw that they were following it closer and closer to The Hyperion Hotel where they had their offices.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoah!" Gunn jerked back. "Is that a God damn dragon?!" His eyes widened in amazement as a large reptile with wings came flying out of nowhere.

"Need some help, Laddie?" Came a thick Irish voice.

The four of them looked over towards Gunn but didn't see anyone until they looked lower to find a man who looked like a Leprechaun standing beside Gunn.

"Yeah." Gunn nodded towards to short man. "But what you gonna do?"

They all heard a loud high-pitched screech causing them to look up.

"That what I think it is?" Gunn asked in amazement. The Leprechaun ran towards the demons so fast he was a blur to the human eye as demons began to fall to the ground.

Doyle laughed. "That would be a Gryphon!"

They all watched as the Gryphon attacked the large dragon.

"I do believe we should fight…" Wesley motioned towards a demon dog with red eyes.

Doyle nodded, shaking his head until his skin turned dark green and pointy spikes grew out of his skin, he ran towards the demons that were approaching them.

"Wait!" Gunn shouted at Wesley and Cordelia then motioned to the hotel. "Is Buffy in there?"

Looking towards the Gryphon, Wesley nodded. "If the Gryphon is here one is to assume Buffy is… it would be here to protect her."

"This thing is after Buffy?" Gunn motioned to the demon dog. "Not gonna happen!" He shouted as he swung his axe, easily knocking the beasts head off.

Doyle paused in the middle of fighting off a man with a goat head when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, looking over he saw The Hyperion Hotel begin to shake. He looked up when he heard another high pitch scream coming from the Gryphon, instead of seeing the bird-like lion all he could see was the body of a very large very dead dragon falling from the sky. "Holy motha of… 'erybody run!"

The other three looked up to see the Dragon falling, they all turned to get out of the way before it made impact but it never did. They looked up to find only the Gryphon flying gracefully through the night sky, looking around all the demons were now gone. Only the Leprechaun stood in the center, he tipped his hat to the four friends with a smile. "And so, it has begun…" He laughed and was gone within a blink of an eye.

They looked around wondering where all the demons had gone, where had that HUGE dragon gone that the Gryphon had killed? Where was the Gryphon now? They ran to the entrance of the hotel, Cordelia went to push the doors open but they wouldn't move. "What the hell?"

"It's locked?" Doyle asked.

"Shouldn't be." Gunn shrugged as he tried to push the door open but couldn't.

"That is odd." Wesley pulled his keys out of his pocket to try them. "It is not locked." He said after trying to key, he pushed on the door again, shaking it slightly. He pushed again this time harder, the door flew open and Wesley fell to the floor inside the hotel.

Cordelia laughed and Gunn shook his head, when Doyle looked down at the British man, he couldn't help but laugh as well. They all stepped around Wesley as he pulled himself to his feet, they saw Rebecca running down the stairs with blood coming from her nose, mouth and side of her head. "Oh my God! Rebecca! What happened?" Cordelia asked.

"He… he tried to kill me!" She shouted looking back up the stairs. "and… and I don't know what else happened, the building started to shake."

Doyle nodded. "We saw it too. Wait, who is 'he'?"

"Angel!"

"What?" Gunn asked. "Angel tried to kill you?"

The actress nodded. "But he went after that girl… the one that works with you, the blonde instead."

"Buffy?" Wesley asked.

Rebecca nodded. "I guess that is her name…. she… she came to help me but he went after her and just left me… He killed her, I tried to run but… something stopped me, there was nothing there but I couldn't get out… I was stuck in his room."

"There must have been a force field of some type." Wesley mumbled.

"Why would he go after Buffy? She is our friend." Cordelia said. "Why would he go after you?"

"Did something happen, Miss. Lowell?" Wesley asked her. "Something you are not telling us?"

Rebecca nodded. "I just…. I wanted him to loosen up a bit, so I gave him…"

"What did you give him?" Doyle questioned.

"Just a little something in his drink…" She trailed off. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this!"

0o0o0

Angel moaned, he had a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He moved to get up but found he couldn't move. Opening his eyes, he looked down to see heavy thick chains holding him down to his bed.

"I told them you were fine." He heard Buffy's voice come, looking up he saw Buffy leaning again the closet in his room. "They didn't believe me."

He looked over at Wesley and Cordelia who were sitting in chairs beside each other with Doyle and Gunn behind them.

"You tried to kill Rebecca!" Cordelia exclaimed. "I thought you were the good guy!"

"Don't forget Buffy." Doyle added.

"Yeah!" Cordelia nodded. "You tried to kill Buffy too."

"For the last time…" Buffy rolled her eyes. "He did NOT try to kill me."

"Pftt." Cordelia scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that but Rebecca told us what happened."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Gunn asked Angel.

"Uh…" Angel closed his eyes for a second. "Walking down the stairs and getting attacked by you guys."

"Before that…" Wesley said. "Rebecca slipped you a drug."

"Yeah." He nodded. "I know. I figured that out, she wanted me to turn her."

"She slipped you Penicillin." Cordelia shook her head. "Stupid bitch!"

Wesley shook his head.

Buffy raised her eyebrow at Angel. "You have an ear infection we should know about?"

"No, not Penicillin." Wesley looked at Cordelia. "It was a new street drug, it is to loosen you up… give you the ability to do something you would like to do but never would. Completely illegal by the way."

"So, she put liquid courage in his liquid courage." Buffy commented earning an odd look from everyone. "They had champagne." Buffy shrugged.

"Oh." Cordelia nodded then turned to Angel. "I guess this puts a damper on your relationship with Rebecca, huh?"

"There is no relationship." Angel told her.

"Yeah, not now!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Do you…remember what happened while you were… under the influence?" Wesley asked him.

"Not at first." Angel shook his head. "I felt like I was just waking up with Buffy all around m… in a room with Buffy." He paused. "I remember now…" He looked at Buffy. "I am so sorry… the things I said… I did…"

"It's fine." Buffy whispered with a nod.

"Yes." Wesley nodded getting up from his chair. "I think we should just forget it… move on."

"Ha!" Cordelia laughed as she got up. "You're lucky I am a big enough person to put this behind me."

Everyone turned to walk away.

"Are you guys going to untie me?"

Cordelia scoffed again as they all walked out of his room.

"Wesley…. Cordelia… Gunn… DOYLE?..." He shouted. "Buffy….Guys?... GUYS!"

Buffy poked her head back into the room and smiled before walking in. "You didn't think I would leave you here, did you?"

Angel laughed as Buffy began to unlock the chains.

 **Galway Ireland, 1742**

"Liam!" Elizabeth laughed, pushing him away from her to his side of the bed.

"Ya ticklish, Grá." He smiled, leaning over to lightly kiss her.

"Maybe." She smiled then held out her hand where there was a ring with a crown that sat upon a heart being held by two hands. "but I just want to look at it a little longer."

Liam laughed. "Ya ratha' look at ya weddin' ring dan make love ta ya husband?"

"Oh no!" She giggled. "I want to do both… but we have to meet Kathleen soon, don't we?"

"Love me sister but we just got married." He said flopping back down onto the bed.

Leaning over, resting her arms on her husbands naked chest, she smiled down at him. "We have been married for 3 months, Angel."

Liam smiled back at his wife, when he was courting her just 5 months earlier she had come up with the name Angel when he did everything for her, his little sister Kathleen started calling him by Angel too but no one else was allowed to. "Doesn' seem dat long."

"Yes, I know." She laid her head on his chest. "Everything is happening so fast, it has been the best 5 months of my life."

"Ya." He nodded rubbing her back. "I love you, Beth. Always, my Grá."

"And I you, Angel."

"Tá muid go deo dhá hearts le Soul amháin." The couple whispered at the same time.


	15. The Death of a Beloved Woman

Thank you everyone for all the reviews, favorites and follows! I really appreciate it! You guys know how to make a girl feel loved.

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Chapter 15: The Death of a Beloved Woman

Buffy sat at her computer playing a game of Solitaire, she hated this game but played it out of boredom. What else was she supposed to do when everyone else was gone, Lorne was laying done on the couch in the lobby and here she was, bored. She looked down at herself, was she supposed to feel any different? Lorne was here looking after her to make sure she wasn't attacked, which she was. All she did was go out into the Garden and bam, there was a Kailiff Demon. Lorne, being a lover, not a fighter, did a spell to relocate the Kailiff Demon instead of killing it then did a spell to hide Buffy from demons that wanted to kill her. The spell had taken a lot out of him which was why Lorne was now laying down resting. She had heard Doyle mention them before, he had dealt with a Kailiff and he made it sound like they were hitmen, that made her wonder if someone had hired the demon to kill her.

Buffy looked up when she heard the door open. "Hey, how was dinner?" She asked her friends as they came in.

"Don't ask." Cordelia made a face as she held her stomach.

"Cordelia got sick from the Sashimi." Gunn told her, he looked over towards the couch. "What happened to him?"

Angel leaned his elbow on the counter near Buffy and whispered. "The $19 Sashimi Couscous appetizer."

"Isn't that raw fish?" Buffy shivered in disgust then looked up at Gunn. "Oh, he has been pretty out of it for the past two hours."

"He is supposed ta be watchin' ya." Doyle pointed out.

"Ah, but he was." Buffy smirked. "I was attacked out in the Garden."

Angel looked at her worriedly. "You were attacked? What happened?"

"Lorne." She nodded to the green demon in the orange dress suit. "He did a relocating spell on the demon and then did a spell on me so I am newly hidden from any vampire, demon or creature of the night out to drain me of my blood and wear my face as a mask."

"Ewww." Cordelia cringed running straight to the bathroom.

"You." Gunn pointed to the blonde. "...are hanging out with these people…" he motioned around the room. "…WAY too much if you're comfortable with sayin' what just came outtcha mouth."

Buffy nodded. "I'm aware." She turned towards Cordelia coming out of the bathroom. "Cordelia are you going to be able to do this commercial if you are sick?"

"It's not like I have a choice!" The brunette exclaimed. "It's international! Plus, that shoe commercial turned ad was a total bust and I screwed up that laundry detergent commercial last week, which was not my fault by the way! I think Rebecca sabotaged it! She got me the gig and then she was all mad at us after Angel tried to kill her!"

"Which by the way was not HIS fault." Buffy pointed out. "She drugged him."

"…and that makes him not responsible for his actions?" Cordelia asked getting slightly upset. "Wesley said the drug lets the person do something they want to do but wouldn't allow themselves to do so obviously Angel wanted to kill Rebecca."

"I wasn't going to kill her." Angel spoke up.

"He jus… roughed 'er up a little." Doyle defended his friend. "Even I wanted ta do dat and I hardly knew the lass." Leaning over to Buffy, he smiled and whispered. "Team Buffy." Causing the blonde to laugh.

0o0o0

"So…." Buffy bit her lip. "Are you guys going after Haklar tomorrow?" Things with Angel had been weird ever since they had sex, he pretended like everything was normal when their friends were around but as soon as they were alone he avoided her as much as he could. There were only two reasons that she could think of: he regretted it or he was in full avoidance mode. She thought this was a topic that definitely needed to be discussed.

Angel nodded, looking down at some papers.

"Just the guys?" She tried to get him to talk again.

Once again, Angel nodded.

"Okay then." Buffy nodded and turned to walk through the lobby up the stairs. "Have fun."

Looking up, Angel watched her leave. It wasn't that he wanted to be so distant with her. He cared about Buffy but it had been 260 years since he lost his wife and that wasn't nearly enough years of torture for what he did.

0o0o0

 **Galway Ireland, 1752**

"I adore it!" Beth smiled as she walked out of the shop with her arm linked with her husbands.

"As much as me?" Liam smiled down at her as they walked down the now empty street, it was far too late to keep his wife out, he knew that, mainly because there was a chance she could be with child but he wanted to take her out to get a special gown. It was their 10-year anniversary, he showered her with gifts as much as possible but tonight he had taken her out to get the new gown she had been wanting for months.

His wife gasped. "Of course not, I could never!"

"Dat's what me tought!" He laughed.

"Oh, Liam!" She laughed. "We have been married for ten years, your accent is not that thick anymore!" She smiled at him when he turned to her. "You sound more like an Englishman than an Irishman."

"I will have to disagree." He smiled sounding in fact like an Englishman.

Beth shook her head with a quiet laugh. "I can't wait to show Kathleen my new gown! Everyone will know I have the best husband in all of Ireland."

"Just Ireland?" Liam asked with a teasing smile.

Beth bit her lip, pausing as if she was thinking. "Hmmm, the whole world."

"That is better, Grá." He smiled then looked around to make sure no one was on the street, he quickly leaned over and gave her a kiss. "If I do indeed sound like an Englishman, I am going to have to spend more time with my Da. Spending so much time with your family is taking me away from my heritage."

"If that is your excuse to spend more time with your father…" She teased, leaning in for another kiss, this time with more passion. "I rather enjoy my husband's Irish accent."

"Well then…" He smiled then slouched slightly as he used to when they had first met. Marrying into a proper English family had turned him more proper. "me have ta get it back for ya."

"We should really get back to the house now, Angel." She bit her lip and smiled.

"Yes, I suppose we should." He looked up at the night sky. "It is getting rather late."

Beth laughed at the way he spoke, he really did sound like her family. "That is not the reason we should be getting home."

Looking down at her, he raised his eyebrows at her when he saw the look on her face. He knew that look very well, it was the same look she had on the night they had wed and every night since. It was a wonder they didn't already have children. "Oh yes, we should be going."

Once again, they continued their walk down the empty street to get to the carriage that was waiting for them, as they walked something caught Beth's eye and she turned to look in an alley. "Angel, look." She pointed.

"What is it, Grá?" Turning his head, he saw a blonde woman in a beautiful gown standing in the alley. "Shall we?"

"Of course! We do not leave someone in need, you know this." Beth exclaimed as if her husband should already know the answer. "We cannot leave her out here."

Liam nodded once, leading his wife into the ally to see if they could help the woman. "So, I would ask myself… what is a woman of your station doing in an alley with a reputation this one has."

"Maybe she is lonely." The woman said not turning to look at them.

Beth looked at the woman suspiciously. "Angel…" She whispered as he took a step closer to the woman.

"Well then, I would offer myself as escort to protect you from harm." Liam told the strange woman as he walked closer to her. He couldn't help but think of his Beth being alone in an alley where anyone could take advantage of her or harm her in any way.

"You are very gracious."

Liam gave the woman a small smile. "It has often been said."

"Angel…" Beth whispered again trying to get his attention. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. "We should be going…"

"Are you sure you are up for the challenge?" The woman asked finally turning to face them.

Beth took a step backwards, not knowing exactly why. She reached out for her husband. "Angel."

"Just a moment, Grá." He turned his head slightly to look at his wife then back to the strange woman. "Where are you from? Perhaps we could be of service to you."

"Around." She smiled. "Everywhere. I am sure you could… be of service." The woman narrowed her eyes at Beth. "Not her."

"Liam!" Beth shouted. "We must go, NOW."

"Beth." Liam turned to look at his wife. "This woman is of need, we must not turn our backs on …" Liam heard a horse cry out, he looked in the direction it had come from, within a moment he heard the scream of his wife. He turned just in time to see his wife fall to the ground. "Beth?" He rushed to her, he gathered her into his arms, seeing blood coming from her neck. "What…? I… I do not understand…" Looking up, he saw the blonde woman on her hands and knees gasping, her brow was now deformed and she had sharp teeth. Her lips covered in his beloved wife's blood.

"What… what is she?" The woman asked. "I feel… stronger."

"Grá?" Liam asked looking down at his wife with tears in his eyes.

"Run." His wife whispered.

Liam shook his head, bending down to rest his forehead upon his wife's. "I will not leave you, Grá."

"I…" Beth struggled to get air in her lungs. "…love you."

"Waste of perfectly good blood." The woman smiled getting to her feet and walking towards them.

Liam stood, gently laying his wife's head down on the ground. "Stay away from her. Why… why did you do this?"

"You love her."

"Of course!" Liam shouted. "She is my wife!"

The woman shook her head. "She was in the way."

"What?" Liam asked, looking back at his wife to make sure she was still with him.

"You are mine, Dear Boy."

The woman took a step closer to his wife but Liam pushed her back. "I belong to her and she to me!"

"You have it all wrong, Dear Boy. You are mine." The woman taunted. "I will show you the world."

"My world is here!" He turned around to go back to his wife but felt a powerful hand on his shoulder pulling him away from her. He looked back to see the woman lunge at him, sinking her teeth into his neck. He fought as hard as he could, not taking his eyes off his wife.

"Liam…" Beth whispered one last time before she could no longer hold her eyes open and the darkness over took her.

When he saw her eyes slowly close he stopped fighting against the demon woman. His wife was dead, his world was gone. What else did he have to live for? He felt the demon sucking his blood out of his neck, as he got weaker he felt as if he too was about to die but the woman pulled away from him and watched as he fell to his knees. She smiled down at him as she cut the top of her breast open with just her finger nail, pulling him towards her she forced him to drink.

0o0o0

 **Present Day**

The next morning Angel walked down the stairs of The Hyperion Hotel, he could see Buffy on the computer at the front desk sipping coffee but no one else was around. He could hear them talking somewhere towards the back of the hotel, judging by the sound of clanging metal his best bet would be the kitchen. "Buffy… hey…"

Looking up, Buffy gave him a small smile. This was the first time he had talked to her when they were alone in a room together, she saw that as a good sign. "Morning, Sleepy Head. You're late."

"I am?" He asked looking towards his office at the clock on the wall through the large glass window.

Buffy nodded. "Everyone else has already finished their coffee."

Angel eyed her as she brought her coffee cup up to her lips again.

"Oh…." Buffy whispered. "I didn't sleep much last night so I am drinking Cordelia's coffee since she is away being a fabulous actress today. Everyone else is in the kitchen making some breakfast if you want…"

Angel shook his head. "I don't…"

"What?" Buffy gave him a knowing look. "Eat solid foods? I know you don't HAVE to eat them but you do."

"Buffy… I wanted to ask you a question." He looked down at the counter, away from her eyes.

Turning back to the computer, she pursed her lips. "Shoot."

"What are you doing?"

"The budget sheet." She answered looking away from the computer screen at her boss. "Things are looking good this month…. That is what you wanted to ask me?"

"What? ...No." He shook his head. "I wanted to ask you… wait, Cordelia does the budget. Is she blowing it off to be with Ben?"

"Angel… Cordelia and Ben broke up." She said softly. "I thought you knew."

Angel shook his head again. "No, I didn't. What happened?"

"That is something you will have to talk to Cordelia about."

"Okay." He nodded, looking around the hotel almost as if he was nervous.

"Are you okay, Angel?" Buffy asked eyeing him.

"What? Yeah… yeah…" He turned to her. "Fine."

Buffy raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "What is it that you actually wanted to ask?"

"Has… Did anyone ever tell you my real name?" He asked her, he had been trying to figure out how Buffy knew his given name, she had said it in her sleep after they had sex. "My human name."

Buffy shook her head. "You didn't tell me what it was, I just assumed no one else knew either."

"Wesley… he found out when I first met him. His father is from a group in England known as the Watchers Council, they have endless information on vampires and demons." Angel explained. "He did some digging to make sure he could trust me, he found out my name and told Cordelia."

"Is that why he is so crazy smart when it comes to demons?" Buffy asked.

Angel nodded. "He was supposed to become a member of the Watchers Council too, he hadn't completed all of his training when he spent some time with his Uncle and decided his Uncles way of living was better."

Buffy scrunched up her face in confusion. "Way of living?"

"Wesley's Uncle was on the Watchers Council for years but something happened… Wesley said something about a girl and love, after that he left the Council and began fighting against evil on his own without the help of the council. He has a team of his own now, they live on a Hellmouth. Actually, he got a job as the school librarian because the school is built on top of the Hellmouth."

"The Hellmouth? As in the hot spot for all things supernatural?" Buffy asked suddenly even more interested than before. "Why don't you live there? You could do SO much good there."

"I was there for a short time, that is actually how I met Cordelia. I saved her… a few times and after that she stuck around."

"Cordelia is from Sunnydale though…" Buffy thought for a moment. "There is a Hellmouth in California then. I read about the one in Cleveland. When did you come here to LA?"

"When Cordelia graduated from High School a year later we ran back into Wesley here in LA."

"So… you guys have known each other for what…?" She trailed off.

Angel took an unneeded deep breath. "About ten years."

"Wow. Ten years." Buffy let out a shaky laugh. "I have only known one person for that long."

"That is what happens when someone attaches themselves to you and won't let go." Angel replied before making his way towards where his friends and employees were.

Buffy was about to reply when the stereo suddenly turned on, she whipped her head around to look at the object. That wasn't the first time that had happened. Getting up, she made her way over to the stereo. She was pretty sure it was broken, she made a mental note to buy a new one.

Angel paused and looked towards the stereo. "Did that just come on by itself?"

Buffy nodded. "I think it's broken."

"Or we have a ghost." Angel said, looking around the lobby.

"But not Dennis." Buffy spoke up. "Because I kinda… made him not a ghost anymore."

Angel scowled. He still didn't like Dennis being alive again, the former ghost was much too friendly with Buffy.


	16. Going Through Changes

Ba2006- Thank you! Yes, BA forever!

Allison117- Darla is a total bitch! Yes, poor Beth. Hopefully Angel stops acting weird long enough to have that conversation.

Sassy.B93- Thank you! This chapter is centered mostly around Buffy, so there isn't much problem solving in it for Buffy and Angel. I hope you like it though!

Thank you for the follows and favorites on this story!

Chapter 16: Going Through Changes

Buffy drummed her fingers on the front desk, she was alone in The Hyperion again. Ever since Lorne had done the spell to hide her from the demons looking to kill her they didn't feel as paranoid about leaving her alone. She was still the secretary for Angel Investigations though so she stayed there a lot just in case someone in need showed up. She always missed all the interesting stuff though, last she heard anything was when Doyle called to tell her that they had found Lorne's cousin Landok in a library and they were going to send him home. She would have liked to meet Lorne's cousin, if he was anything like the song loving green demon she would instantly love him.

Glancing up at the clock she realized how late it was, she wondered if Angel would care if she closed up and went to bed. She was really tired and not to mention bored. Hopping down from the stool she was sitting in she looked around confused. "What the...?" She looked down at the floor but her feet weren't on the floor. Why weren't they on the floor? She looked behind her but there was nothing there. She tried jumping in the air but she still didn't move so she tried again and landed on the floor with a jerk.

0o0o0

"Cordy?" Angel asked turning around to take the large book from Cordelia and handed it to Lorne's cousin Londok. "All you have to do is just read aloud from it." He glanced back at Cordelia and Wesley, Cordelia crossed her fingers and Angel turned back to the demon. "Well, that's the theory anyway."

"To defeat the Drakkon you must be a great and noble warrior." Londok said to Angel.

"Well, you know." Angel shrugged. "I try."

Londok held his hand out to grab Angel's wrist. "I am happy to know you."

"Londok, be safe." Lorne said as Angel made his way back over to his friends.

"Goodbye, Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan" Londok nodded.

"Tell my mother I..." Lorne waved his hand. "Tell her I threw myself into the sacrificial canyons of Trelinsk."

Londok stood up straighter, if it were possible. "I feel as though we will meet again."

Lorne looked shocked and disgusted. "Oh god, I hope not."

Londok began reading from the book causing Caritas to shake and a bright light to appear. Landok disappeared into the portal and Lorne sighed in relief. "Now how about we just pretend this never happened?"

"I'm okay with that." Angel nodded turning to his British friend. "Wesley?"

Wesley nodded. "Fine with me. Cordelia?" Wesley looked to his left where Cordelia had been. "Cordy?"

Angel looked over beside Wesley. "Cordy?" He glanced around the bar but didn't see her anywhere.

"Oh no. Oh my god, no." Wesley looked around the bar frantically. "How could I have let this happen?"

"No, she's here somewhere." Angel said continuing to look for Cordelia. "She's just hiding. Cordy!" He shouted. "Cordelia!"

"Angel." Wesley stopped his friend. "She's gone, she has been sucked into the portal. She is in Lorne's dimension now."

Angel turned to look at the green demon. "Where is Cordelia?"

Wesley called Doyle to have him and Gunn come over to the bar, they were going to get Cordelia back by opening the portal again and going to the dimension. Once they got there Doyle and Gunn were about to get into Angel's car to go get Cordelia when Gunn suddenly stopped. "You know, ya'all don't know how long you are going to be gone. Someone's gotta stay and take out the demons here."

"That's true." Lorne nodded. "And keep an eye out for Buffy."

Angel looked torn for a moment. He wanted to get Cordelia back but he also felt the need to protect Buffy.

"He's right." Doyle nodded. "Get Delia, bring her home."

Angel nodded. If he couldn't be here to protect Buffy he was happy that Doyle and Gunn would do it, he trusted them.

0o0o0

Buffy walked down the stairs in The Hyperion after she had showered and gotten ready for the day. She didn't hear anyone there yet so she glanced at the clock. She was running a little late, everyone should have been there. She walked through the lobby and into Angel's office. No one was there. She went into the kitchen but no one was there. "Hello?" She pursed her lips looking around the kitchen before she walked out the doors and back into the lobby. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

After some time had passed she tried to call Angel on his cell phone but he didn't answer. Next, she tried Cordelia but she didn't answer either. Finally, she got an answer when she called Gunn. "Oh my god! Gunn! Finally!" She exclaimed. "What is going on? I tried calling Angel and Cordy but they didn't answer. I haven't heard from anyone since last night!"

"Oh man, Buff." Gunn sighed. "Something happened. We were just on our way over to see you."

"What?" Buffy asked panicking. "Is it Angel? Is he okay?"

"We will be there in a minute." He told her.

"No!" She exclaimed. "Tell me! Is Angel okay?"

Gunn paused for a moment. "It's not Angel. He's fine."

Buffy let out a breath of relief and hung up the phone.

A few minutes later Gunn and Doyle walked in, Buffy jumped up from her seat at her desk and rushed over to them. If Angel was fine then why wasn't he with them? Oh, right. Daylight. He must be coming through the tunnels. Seeing the worried looks on their face she began to worry also. "What is going on? Where is everyone else?"

Gunn sighed and shook his head.

Doyle ran his fingers through his hair. "Something happened, Lass... when they opened the portal to send Londok..."

"What?" Buffy asked searching their faces for answers. "What happened?"

"Delia..." Doyle whispered. "She got sucked through too."

Buffy's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?! Oh my god!"

Gunn stepped closer to her, putting his arm around her. "Angel, Wes and Lorne went to get her back. We stayed behind to hold down the fort and make sure you are safe."

"I can't believe this." Buffy mumbled.

0o0o0

Buffy watched as Doyle and Gunn gathered some weapons and supplies. "Are you guys sure you want to take this case?" She asked leaning her back against the main desk. It had been two days since Angel, Wesley and Lorne went to get Cordelia back. She was really starting to worry, even more than she was when they had told her what happened.

"Yeah." Gunn nodded putting some daggers into his bag. "Why not?"

Buffy shrugged. "I think we should do a little more research."

"You did research, Buffy." Doyle reasoned with her. "It's an easy open-shut case. We go kill these things before they hatch and call it a day."

"Just make sure it isn't a Grimslaw" Buffy said with a teasing smile. "Or you will have The Tribunal all over your asses and Angel isn't here to be your champion."

"Hey!" Gunn tossed his bag on the large circle couch in the middle of the lobby. "I'm my own champion."

Buffy chuckled as the two walked out of the hotel.

0o0o0

A few hours later Buffy heard the front door open, she figured it was the guys coming back. Walking around the desk she laughed. "You got the right ones..." she trailed off when she saw what looked like a man with a shark head and large black eyes. She wasn't sure if he was a potential client. "Um... can I help you?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I heard the big guy was out of town and I just came here to pick up a few things."

Buffy bit her lip, she didn't have a good feeling about this. "What do you mean?"

"It's all over the streets, Blondie." The demon sneered. "Angel left town. Are you here to protect all his magical books that could potentially wipe me and mine off the map?"

"I... I don't know what you are talking about." Buffy said nervously. "Angel is actually right up..."

The shark headed demon shook his head. "Don't even try to lie! I don't normally do my own dirty work but if killing you will get me what I need then I will happily do it."

Buffy's eyes widened when she saw him make his way towards her, she hurried out of his way, putting the round couch between her and the demon.

He glanced around looking for something then smashed the glass to the weapon cabinet, grabbing a sword.

"Oh god!" Buffy gasped. She didn't know what to do, she was going to die! This is when Angel would swoop in and save her. He always did! So why the hell couldn't he be back from saving Cordelia so he could save her! She swallowed thickly when she saw the demon lung at her, she hurried away knocking the pillows off the couch.

"This is why I don't do my own dirty work." He growled. "You people always run!" He swung the sword at Buffy as she was trying to get to the door, she let out a scream and kicked at him as she fell on the steps leading to the door. He stumbled backwards, dropping the sword. She scrabbled over to grab the sword she had watched Angel train Cordelia with just a week earlier. She held it out in front of her, she was pretty sure she was holding it right, Angel hadn't showed her how to hold a sword but she had watched him.

"What are you going to do?" The demon asked her. "You are too scared to even hurt me."

Buffy shook her head and swung the sword at him, she missed him but it caused him to take a step back.

"Hey, how about you just give me what I want and no one has to get hurt." he shrugged.

Buffy shook her head and circled around him causing him to turn so he could watch her. "You said you were going to kill me."

"Doesn't have to be that way." He reasoned taking a step back, he started to lose his footing on a pillow that had fallen on the floor but he didn't catch himself in time, he fell forward.

Buffy's eyes got large when she saw the shark demon land on the sword blade in her hand. She let go of the sword and watched as the demon fell to the floor. She backed up and sat on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest. She sat there starring at the shark demon for what felt like hours until she heard the door open again, she looked up to see a tall blue demon with a lot of extra skin on his face and he looked like he had never eaten in his life. "Let me guess, you heard Angel was out of town too?"

The blue demon narrowed his dark eyes at her as she got up and pulled the sword out of the shark demon. He tilted his head before he held out his arms and what looked like sharpened rocks came out of his forearms.

"That's new." Buffy whispered with large eyes.

He threw one of the objects that came out of his arms, hitting the sword out of her hand. He swung his arm at her and she fell backwards. She crawled backwards towards the weapon case, the demon following her the whole way. Buffy grabbed Angel's favorite axe, she had watched him with the axe even more than the sword. It was a lot heavier than the sword but she held it up to block the demon's arms from hitting her, she kicked her feet up and met his midsection causing him to stumble backwards. A small smile appeared on her face as she stood up, she could get used to fighting.

0o0o0

"That was NOT an open-shut case." Gunn said walking into hotel lobby. "We got there and some of the things were already hatched!"

"Must 'ave been there longer than the couple thought." Doyle commented setting his bag down on the counter. "That the same outfit you were wearing earlier?"

Buffy shook her head as she cleaned Angel's axe, she had gotten demon blood and a little of her own on her clothes so she had to throw them out. "Can you guys do me a favor?"

Gunn nodded with a frown on his face, something was off. "What is it?"

"See... something happened while you were gone..." She trailed off for a second. "I didn't want any potential clients to walk in and see it so... it's over there in the closet."

Doyle gave Buffy an odd look and went over to the walk-in closet where they kept all the cleaning supplies. He opened the door and took a step back. "Holy... you did this? Gunn..."

Buffy bit her lip as she watched her other friend walk over to the closet.

"Shit!" Gunn exclaimed when he saw several dead demons laying on the floor. "I didn't know you could fight!"

"I can't..." Buffy shrugged. "Or at least I couldn't. It just kind of happened. After the second demon attacked me it just kind of came to me."

"There's what five in there?" Gunn asked her shocked.

Buffy shook her head. "Four. One of those heads isn't attached to a body. You guys mind getting rid of them for me?"

"Yeah, that could end up stinkin' pretty bad." Gunn nodded.

Doyle made a disgusted face. "Already startin'."

Gunn shook his head with a proud smile as he looked at Buffy. "You mind telling us exactly what happened first?"

Buffy shrugged. "The first guy was a talker, he said that it's all over the streets that Angel is gone and he wanted the books and stuff that we have that could give us ways to kill them. The rest of them didn't say much... not that the last one had much time to say anything. His life ended pretty fast." She finished with a smile.

Doyle let out a laugh. "I guess we can worry 'bout ya a lil less now, huh?"

0o0o0

Buffy let out a sigh when she heard someone come into The Hyperion, it better not be another demon because she was really tired from the last four. Doyle and Gunn still hadn't gotten back from taking care of the bodies. They had loaded them up in Gunn's old truck hours ago. She looked up at the entrance and saw a blonde in a short red dress, she knew why she was here. "Sorry Darla, Angel isn't here right now. I will let him know you stopped by."

The blonde vampire smiled at the small blonde girl. "He isn't here? Where is he?"

"Um..." She pursed her lips, there was always something off about the blonde vampire but tonight, she seemed extra creepy. "Out with Wesley."

"When will he be back?" Darla smiled sweetly.

Buffy shrugged, Darla has come around at lot and she was ever a threat before, creepy, yes but never a threat. "I'm not sure, he has been gone for a while."

"Are you here alone?"

Buffy nodded.

Darla knew that they never left Buffy alone so something big must be going on. "How long have you been alone? Exactly how long has he been gone?"

"Angel left a few days ago." Buffy told Darla. "He didn't tell you?"

"No." Darla purred. "He didn't."

"Don't feel bad." Buffy laughed. "No one told me either until they were already gone."

Darla shrugged and walked further into the hotel. "So, there is no telling when he would be back? Could be days..."

"I hope not." Buffy laughed lightly.

Darla tilted her head and smiled. "I do."

"Why..." Buffy's eyes widened when she saw Darla lung for her. Seriously, she could not catch a break today! Buffy ran over to get a weapon to defend herself, as soon as the wooden stake was in her hand she had a feeling Angel wouldn't like it if she killed his little vampire whore. She hesitated for a moment, she didn't want Angel to be upset with her, Darla took that moment to grab Buffy from behind and throwing her to the floor. "What are you doing?" Buffy asked pulling herself up on the couch.

"What does it look like?" Darla asked, her face shifting as she revealed her fangs. "I'm hungry." Before Buffy could re-act Darla had her pinned to the couch sinking her teeth into her neck.

0o0o0

"I kind of miss it already." Cordelia laughed. "I mean besides people losing their heads, being enslaved and almost killed... I liked being the ruler."

"You would!" Wesley smiled shaking his head then looked beside Angel at the small woman they had saved from Lorne's dimension, Winfred was very quiet and kept her head down but always stuck close to Angel. He was sure Fred wouldn't miss Pylea at all.

"You know, I have to agree with Cordy." Angel sighed. "I miss being in the sunlight."

"With everything that happened to us there, you miss the sunlight?" Wesley asked shocked. "We almost died. Several times!"

"Yeah... but we did..." Angel trailed off. "Buffy." He whispered when he saw her laying on the couch in the lobby. He could smell her blood and rushed over to her. "Buffy?" He saw vampire marks on her neck, he could hear her heart faintly beating. "She's still alive!"

"Who's Buffy?" Fred asked quietly.

Cordelia rushed over to Buffy. "Oh, my god! What happened?"

"Vampire." Angel said as he lifted her into his arms and started carrying her upstairs.

"Angel, where are you going?" Cordelia asked. "I think she needs to go to the hospital!"

Angel shook her head. "She doesn't like hospitals. I can take care of her."

0o0o0

Angel sat in the chair beside Buffy's bed with her hand in between both of his, wondering what happened to her and where the hell Gunn and Doyle were. What vampire had bit her and where was that vampire now? Most vampires would kill their victims, not leave them there to slowly die. He took an unneeded breath as he looked at the clock, they had gotten back a few hours ago. He had taken care of Buffy and cleaned her up, her heart beat was returning to normal. Now she was just sleeping. He really wished she would wake up so he knew she was really okay and she could tell him everything that had happened since he last saw her. He shook his head as he heard footsteps in the hall and a soft knock at the door.

"Angel?" Cordelia called as she opened the door slightly. "I know you want to be with Buffy right now, we all do... but Fred is having kind of a hard time right now. She keeps asking for you."

Taking another breath, he brought her hand up placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "I will be right back." He murmured.

"I can stay with her." She whispered placing a hand on his arm before he nodded and walked out the door.

He walked down stairs only to see Wesley pointing towards Cordelia's desk, he walked behind the counter to find Fred cowering under the desk. He took a deep breath and got down on the floor with her.

"Where have you been?" Wesley demanded when he saw Doyle and Gunn walk into The Hyperion.

"Hey! Your back!" Doyle smiled. "Delia must be with you!"

Angel got up from the floor, scowling at his two employees.

"Did... did you just come out from under the desk?" Gunn asked.

"Where the hell were you?" Angel shouted.

"Man, chill out." Gunn said taking a step back. "We had something to take care of and then it just so happens that every demon in LA knew you were M.I.A and wanted to cash in on it. We been gone all day taking care of business, like we said we would."

Angel stepped closer, stopping just inches away from Gunn's face. "You also said you would take care of Buffy!"

"Buffy?" Gunn asked.

"Why?" Doyle asked turning pale. "What happened to Buffy?"

Wesley stepped up and gently pulled Angel back. "We don't know... what we do know is when we came back she was laying on the couch." Wesley sighed, taking his glasses off to clean them. "With a vampire bite."

"What?!" Gunn shouted.

Wesley nodded, he glanced back at Angel who looked like he was trying to calm himself. "Her pulse was very weak. We don't know how long she had been there. You said you were gone all day?"

Doyle nodded. "We left a few hours before sunrise, she was fine. Better than fine actually."

"So, it either happened right after you left or the vampire was already in the hotel." Wesley thought out loud. It couldn't have gotten inside after the sun came up unless it knew about the tunnels.

"Angel!" Cordelia called running to the top of the stairs. "She's awake! Buffy's awake!"

Angel glanced at his friends then ran up the stairs two at a time.

"Buffy?" Fred whispered from under the desk.

Angel rushed into the blonde's room and gave her a small smile. "Hey." He whispered.

"Hey." She gave him a weak smile and closed her eyes. "I didn't know you guys were back."

"Well, it seems you had a pretty eventful day." He said raising his eyebrows as he lowered himself into the chair beside her.

Shaking her head, Buffy let out a soft chuckle. "You have no idea."

"Well, I know you have a vampire bite." Angel pointed out.

Buffy shook her head. "As much as you hate to remember, you did it."

Angel gave her a concerned look. " I didn't..." He pointed to the right side of her neck where he had placed the bandage. "Mine is on the left side." He whispered. It wasn't that he hated to remember it, he thought about what had happened between them all the time. He just didn't think he deserved her.

"What?" She looked confused for a moment then she nodded as if it had just come back to her. "That."

"What happened, Buffy?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "Darla happened."

"Darla?" He asked. "My..."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, your Darla. I guess I shouldn't have let my guard down... I just thought... well, she has been here a bunch of times, I didn't think..."

"I'm sorry, Buffy." Angel whispered. "I'm so sorry. When... when did it happen?"

Buffy shrugged. "She stopped by around sunrise to see you. I told her that you weren't here but I would tell you she stopped by but... she attacked me. Maybe Lorne's spell isn't working anymore..."

"So..." Angel shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face. "you were laying there all day... dying. If we didn't... shit." Turning his head away from Buffy, he couldn't help but think she almost suffered the same fate as his wife had. After he had promised to protect both of them.

"Angel." She whispered, he looked back at her with sad eyes. "Why didn't I?... Die. If I was laying there all day..."

"I don't know." He whispered back. "I'm just happy that you didn't."


	17. Monserrat Retirement Home

Vincatfan73- We will find out soon! Thank you!

Ba2006- Thank you!

Allison117- I'm not a big fan of Darla either but I did like her towards the end of her pregnancy and when she came back as a spirit to stop Connor from killing for Jasmine.

Sassy.B93- Thank you for the review!

This story is getting down to the last couple chapters that I have written, it's not over but I just won't be able to post as often. Thank you for all the reviews guys, they have really kept me going and I'm pumped to keep writing this!

Chapter 17: Monserrat Retirement Home

Buffy sat at a bar stool in the kitchen of The Hyperion with a bowl in front of her. She lazily moved the beans around in her bowl, she didn't even really like beans but Cordelia and Gunn were making a big fuss over her getting her iron count up so they were making her eat foods high in iron. It had been a couple weeks, she was fine but they were still babying her almost as much as Angel was dotting on the new girl. "Hey." She whispered not looking up from her food.

"Hey, Little One." Angel smiled.

Buffy sighed pushing her bowl away from her. "It's safe to say my iron count is up now."

"I know." He nodded once as he moved around the kitchen. He didn't really need anything in the kitchen, he kept all his blood in the fridge in his room. He just wanted to check on Buffy. Sensing that Buffy was giving him an odd look he glanced up at her.

"Is this a vampire thing?" She asked a little weirded out.

Angel shook his head. "No... I just..." he pointed towards her. "Your color came back. You look better."

"Good to know I looked horrible before." Buffy said in a teasing voice.

"No!" He exclaimed. "You looked... you looked fine, just pale."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "I guess it's a good thing that vampires just want to kill me and not turn me. I would be pale for eternity."

Angel frowned, it was a little too soon to be making jokes about vampires wanting to kill her when she had just been bitten a few weeks before. Making jokes about it ever would be too soon.

Sliding off the bar stool she felt herself hovering over the ground. "Not again." She whispered. She didn't know why that kept happening, one night she woke up and she was hovering over her bed! She needed to research what it might be but until then she figured out a little trick that stopped it. She kicked her left foot out just an inch so Angel wouldn't see her, she slowly and gracefully landed on the floor then walked over to the garbage with her bowl of beans. "Don't be so serious, Angel. Besides, the next time it happens we are now totally stocked up on every food that can bring up my iron. I drew the line at Oysters though, I heard those make you horny and I don't need that."

"They don't make me..." Angel shook his head.

Buffy raised her eyebrow at him. "I didn't mean you specifically. In general."

"Oh." Angel nodded, slightly embarrassed. "... I … don't think that is true."

"Not going to chance it." Buffy shrugged. "Have you… have you heard from Darla? Since…." Buffy motioned to her neck, which had actually healed quickly and without scaring, it was odd since Angel's bite had scarred. The other thing that she found odd was that none of her friends had even mentioned the fact that she now had a vampire bite shaped scar on her neck, it was like none of them even noticed it.

Angel shook his head. "I have been looking and I let a few informants of mine know that we are looking for her. She seems to be laying low." Angel scowled at the thought of Darla hurting Buffy. After what the blonde vampire had done to his wife, there was no way she was getting close to Buffy again. "Where ever she is, consider her already dust."

Buffy shivered at Angel's expression, it was downright scary and she felt a change in subject would be a good idea right about now. "So how is... Fred? Is that what Cordelia called her?"

"Yeah!" Angel nodded, happy for the subject change. "Winfred Burkle but she goes by Fred. She used to work at the Library we found Londok in, she was sucked into the portal just like Cordy was. She was living there for years."

"That sucks." Buffy felt bad for the girl she had yet to meet. Gunn told her that Angel cleared out the room on the other side of him and she was currently in there alone. "She still hasn't come out of her room?"

"It's hard... for her." Angel shrugged leaning his back against the kitchen counter. "She doesn't like to be around a lot of people."

"Just you." Buffy said putting her bowl and spoon in the sink next to where Angel was leaning, he turned his head to look at her. "You spent the night in there, right?" Angel creased his forehead. "Thin walls, I can normally hear you in your room. Last night I didn't."

"I wonder if we can do something about that." Angel wondered. "I mean if you ever... you know, brought a... guy friend home..."

Buffy's eyes got large and she quickly moved away. "Not going to happen!"

"I wouldn't... you know, want to hear that." Angel said at the same time.

Shaking her head frantically Buffy made her way towards the kitchen door. "I told you, me and guys don't mix. It's not something you need to worry about coming from me. But you..." she crossed her arms over her chest as she shifted uncomfortable, why did she have to have feelings for him? Why did she have to have sex with him when Rebecca had drugged him? Now she knew how amazing it felt to be with him and often thought about how badly she wanted to do it again. "Or I could just move to a different room. On a different floor." She suggested. Maybe the very top floor to be as far away from hearing him having sex as possible.

"I don't..." Angel started, he couldn't say he never had sex because he had sex with her. "Well, I don't normally...do... that."

"Angel, you are a young..." She paused when he raised his eyebrows at her. Maybe young wasn't the best word to use for a vampire in his late 200's. "...looking guy. It's only natural that you want … that type of relationship with someone. You can still love your wife and be happy."

"So, you keep saying."

Buffy nodded. "I'm trying to get it through to you. You don't seem to be listening."

"I hear you every time you say it, Buffy." Angel shook his head. "But what if I don't want to... be happy, that is. Without her."

"Then you are going to have a very long undead life." Buffy shrugged.

Angel shrugged back. "I was doing perfectly fine for the past 260 years."

"What do you mean by was?" Buffy asked.

Angel shook his head, he wasn't ready to have that talk with her. He didn't know if he would ever be ready. The feelings he had for his wife and the feelings he had for Buffy were even too confusing for him to wrap his mind around, he didn't know how to put them in words for her to understand. "I should go check on Fred and then meet the rest of the guys for the case."

Buffy nodded, she didn't think he was going to answer her, there were certain things he just wouldn't tell her. Especially lately. Cordelia seemed to think he felt guilty for what Darla did to her. She missed how things used to be, she missed him holding her while they read or those moments when he would hold her hand when no one else was around. Then sex had to go and ruin all that. If time travel was real she wished she could go back. "Oh, you guys are meeting somewhere else now. Wesley called, he wanted to follow up on a lead at..." She glanced down at the paper on her desk. "Monserrat Retirement Home."

"That was MY lead." Angel said pointing to himself. "I saw that there was a retirement home right next to the gym. Can you call him and tell him I will check it out myself?"

Buffy shook her head trying to hold back a laugh as Angel walked up the stairs. Lately, there seemed to be a power struggle between Angel and Wesley, the British man was taking the lead a lot more often, which seemed to turn Angel into a pouting five-year old. She picked up the phone to call Wesley for him.

0o0o0

Buffy walked out of Angel's office after she had filed away a few cases they had just finished. Nothing new had come in so everyone was focusing on the same case now. She smiled when she saw Cordelia walk into The Hyperion. "Hey Cordy! How was your date?"

Cordelia huffed and rolled her eyes. "That guy was a total creepo!" She exclaimed as she took her heels off and headed for the bathroom with her change of clothes.

"Well, he is a lawyer so we know he has some level of slime bag to him." Buffy laughed as the brunette shut the bathroom door behind her.

"I know." Her friend called out. "but can't there just be ONE rich guy that isn't covered in slime?"

Buffy shook her head as Angel walked into the hotel, covered in slime. "Nope." The blonde laughed. "What happened to you? Weren't you going to an old folks home?"

"I never got there!" He exclaimed. "I saw a slime demon attacking some girl." He tugged at his black button-down shirt. "Now I have to go... burn this."

"Make sure you shower before you burn it!" Buffy called after him as he climbed the stairs. "Your goober stinks!"

Angel waved his hand dismissing her comment as he walked up the stairs.

0o0o0

Once the guys got back, Wesley asked how Angel's visit to Monserrat had gone, Buffy explained to him that Angel had never made it there. With no other leads they decided to spend a quiet night at the office unless another case happened to walk in. Cordelia was sitting on the round couch flipping through a magazine, Wesley was reading one of his books, Gunn and Doyle were both playing on hand held video games at the front desk and Buffy was sitting at her desk engrossed in her book of poems. Angel had read them all to her several times so she knew a lot of them by heart now. No one heard the skinny brunette walk up and stand next to Cordelia until she leaned into look at the magazine and Cordelia let out a scream. Wesley jumped and looked around while Buffy glanced up from her book irritated.

"Hey Fred." Gunn said not looking up from his game.

"Sorry! Did... Did I startle you?" The shy Texan asked.

Wesley shook his head trying to cover up the fact that she had scared them. "No." He walked around the desk to where Buffy was sitting.

"Only in the sense of shocking and jolting us." Cordelia commented in a startled voice. "What's up?"

"Nothing" Fred said with a small laugh.

Buffy set her book on her desk and walked around closer to Fred. She held her hand out to the thin Texan. "Hey, we haven't had the chance to meet yet. I'm Buffy. It's good to see you out of your room."

Fred nodded at Buffy without shaking her hand. "Just taking a little stroll and..." She looked back at Cordelia's magazine. "Why would girls wanna look like that? I spent years in a cave starving. What's their excuse?

Buffy raised her eyebrows and shook her head as she turned around and headed back to her desk, she was just trying to be nice.

"Fashion." Cordelia answered.

Fred laughed again then suddenly stopped causing Cordelia to let out a small laugh. She sat beside Cordelia and looked around at the team. "So, everyone is just readin' and hangin' out?"

Cordelia glanced at Fred see that she was looking around the lobby she figured the girl was looking for Angel. She had a weird obsession with him after all. "Angel's upstairs."

"Oh." Fred let out a sigh and looked upstairs. "He's probably reading, too. He's so deep, you know?" She leaned forward dreamily resting her chin on her hand. "Thoughtful. I'm guessing "The Brothers Karmazov", Joyce, a little Goethe to round things out."

Suddenly Angel walked quickly over to the railing of the stairs. "Am I the only one who read this?"

Wesley looked up towards his boss. "Read what?"

"Charlton Heston. Double feature!" Angel exclaimed walking down the stairs with the newspaper in his hand. "At the Nu-art. 'Soylent Green' and – 'The Omega Man'."

"Wow." Gunn said not looking up from his game.

"It's two for one." Angel said looking around at his friends. "Did I mention, Charlton Heston? Who's in?"

Fred jumped up from her spot on the couch and put her hand up. "Sounds great!"

"Fred." Angel smiled. "Great to see you out and about." He placed the newspaper on the counter. "Wesley?"

Wesley held out his book for Angel to see. "Well, I'm in the middle of translating Fassad's guide from the original Sumerian."

"Cordy?" Angel looked from Cordelia to Gunn. "Gunn? Doyle?" None of them looked up from what they were doing so Angel turned to Buffy with a smile. "Little One?"

Buffy thought for a moment, she would like to go. She was a sucker for old movies and for Angel but Fred was going and she got the feeling the brunette didn't want her around. "Sorry." Buffy said sadly, holding up her book of poems and walking over to the counter. She could use this time to look into her little floating problem. She knew she should tell everyone what was going on, she really wanted to talk to Angel about it but he seemed to be spending a lot of time with Fred. She wasn't jealous though!

Angel looked disappointed before he went to grab his coat. "Looks like it's just you and me, Fred." He said walking over to Buffy putting his coat on. "Well, the worm certainly has turned."

"Y-y-yeah." Fred giggled and walked over to the counter to stand between Angel and Buffy. "The worm's turning and..." Suddenly her smile dropped from her face. "Am I the worm?"

"No." Angel replied. "You may not know this, Fred, but certain friends and co-workers have been known to accuse ME of being the quiet, stay at home, sulky one."

Buffy, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn and Doyle all turned to look at their boss.

"Some people just don't know how to have fun anymore." Angel smiled. Buffy raised her eyebrows at him when he held his arm out for Fred which caused the brunette to get giddy.

0o0o0

Wesley sat at Angel's desk listening to Fred ramble a mile a minute, sometimes he wasn't sure if they were actual words that were coming out. "And he opened every door for me and he paid for the tickets. And even bought a giant popcorn. And every few minutes he'd go like this" She tipped her hand as if there was a tub of popcorn in her hand and laughed. "Because he wanted me to know it was okay for me to have some." She walked around Angel's desk and sat down in the chair across from Wesley. "And he's so lonely because he's the last man on earth."

"Angel?" Wesley asked.

"No." Fred sighed with a slight roll of her eyes, Wesley rested his chin on his hand as he listened. "Charlton Heston. The Omega Man? Omega being the last letter of the Greek alphabet so it's a metaphor." She suddenly jumped up from the chair. "And he walks on the street side and not the building side. It's old fashioned, but kind of chivalrous, you know?"

"We are back to talking about Angel?" Wesley guessed pointing at the brunette.

"Right." Fred gushed. "And even though he didn't talk a lot, it was still okay. It was comfortable. It wasn't that awkward kind of quiet. You know that awkward kind of quiet?"

Fred waited for Wesley to answer, he silently turned his head back towards where she was now standing. He didn't know what to say to her. She was acting like a school girl in love, a complete turn-around from the girl who wouldn't even leave her room until the night before. "No, that's never happened to me."

0o0o0

Cordelia made her way over to Angel as he was reading the newspaper in the lobby. "You need to talk to Fred."

"What about?" Angel asked not looking up from his paper.

She raised her eyebrows at him "About the big date you guys had last night."

"Woah! Date?" He asked looking up at her. "It was just a movie."

"That's what you need to tell HER." Cordelia glanced back towards the vampire's office where Fred was still talking Wesley's ear off. "She's in there going on and on about what a super time you guys had."

Angel glanced behind Cordelia at the small brunette. "She's just enthusiastic. Don't read too much into it."

Cordelia pushed his feet off the footstool and sat down on it. "She's got the big puppy love. I mean, who wouldn't? You're handsome, and brave, and heroic." Angel sat up taller and smiled at all the compliments his friend was giving him. "…emotionally stunted, erratic" His smile fell from his face as she continued. "prone to turning evil and, let's face it, a eunuch."

Buffy giggled at Cordelia's comment from where she was behind the main desk. Angel looked at her with a frown.

"Hey, how can you..." Angel frowned. "I'm not a eunuch."

"Angel, it's just a figure of speech." Cordelia offered.

"Find a better one." He said annoyed. "I'm not... eunuch. Buffy, tell her I'm not..."

Buffy held her hands up, motioning that she was staying out of it.

"I just mean that sex is a no-no for you, and because the whole you turned evil and tried to kill Rebecca and Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"I was drugged!" Angel exclaimed looking to Buffy for help again. "I wasn't evil!"

"He wasn't evil." Buffy jumped in.

Angel nodded towards Buffy. "And I didn't have sex with Rebecca."

"But I am sure you wanted to." Cordelia nodded. "Why wouldn't you? She is a famous actress... but listen, all I'm trying to tell you is, this thing with Fred, it's going to go bad unless it's nipped in the bud."

"Okay. Maybe just a short talk." Angel nodded going back to his paper "So how soon can you do that?"

Cordelia stood up. "Nice try. It's gotta come from you." She grabbed Angel by the hand and pulled him into his office where Fred was sitting with Wesley. "Angel has something to say."

Angel looked at Fred who was smiling at him then to Wesley who was looking at him expectantly. "Hey, did anybody else see this?" Angel laid the paper down on his desk in front of Wesley. "Police found the body of a twenty-six year old, Woodrow Raglan, in a two-bedroom suite at the Elondria Hotel. Unnamed witness said it was as if his insides had just..."

"Collapsed." Wesley finished. "Another victim in our case. We should follow up on that lead at the nursing home as soon as possible."

Angel nodded. "Yes, let's do that now. No time to waste!"

Buffy watched silently as Cordelia followed Angel out of his office and over to get his coat. He wore a coat a lot for someone who never got cold, he was dead! Must be a fashion thing.

"You can't just ignore this Fred thing!" Cordelia exclaimed. "You have to speak to her. You know, there is your business life and then there is your social life, and everybody knows that you keep those two things sepa... that old folks home is right across from the gym we went to the other day, right?"

Angel nodded.

"I should come with you." Cordelia offered. "See if anyone else at the gym might know something."

Buffy rolled her eyes knowingly, Cordelia just wanted to go for the eye candy.

Fred walked out of the office as Cordelia and Angel walked out the door, Wesley walked quickly over to the phone to call Doyle then walked in the direction of the exit. "Okay." Fred laughed nervously. "I will just stay here then. Yeah, I will do that."

"I do too." Buffy offered the brunette. "I don't get out much."

Fred glanced over at Buffy. "Oh."

0o0o0

Angel looked at the door in front of him, it said 316, Marcus Roscoe. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. An old balding man with large glasses slowly opened the door.

"Mr. Roscoe. My name is Angel." He offered the old man his business card.

The man looked at the card and read out loud. "Angel Investigations."

"Would it be alright if I came inside and asked you a few questions?" Angel said politely.

"Well, it's ah, pretty late." The old man said.

Angel shrugged. "Shouldn't take long."

The old man turned and walked back into his room, leaving the door open. Angel took a small step forward but couldn't pass the doorway without being invited in. He turned back and motioned to Angel. "Come on, if you're coming."

Angel walked in, closing the door behind him. He looked around then walked over to the window. "Nice to have a view. I bet you, ah, spend a lot of time enjoying it."

"Not that, uh, much..." Mr. Roscoe stuttered as he saw Angel holding up the pair of binoculars he found on the window sill. "Uh. Well, I don't see any harm in looking. That's about all I can do anymore. Uh, what is it you want?"

"Your help." Angel said putting the binoculars down and pulled out some newspaper clippings and walked over to the old man, handing them to him. "I wonder if you've seen either of these men across the way in the gym."

Marcus Roscoe flips through the clippings. "No. I don't think so. I'm more of a girl watcher. You know what I'm saying? Jeez, they all died? How?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." Angel said

"You work with the police?" Marcus asked.

"I'm a private investigator." Angel said. "I work with a team."

"Hmm, sounds nice." Marcus nodded. "I was a salesman. Worked alone for fifty years."

"Hmm." Angel said when he saw a shelf of pottery. "Nothian herb jar." He picked up the jar and eyed the older man. "That's a pretty exotic item. Did you, ah, deal in the occult?"

Marcus shrugged. "Occult shmuccult. I traveled a lot. Picked up some trinkets."

Angel looked on the coffee table and saw some extreme sports magazines lying on the table. He put the jar back on the shelf. "Do a lot of bungee jumping, Mr. Roscoe?"

"More than you might think, Mr. Angel." He said standing up taller.

Angel shook his head. "Just Angel."

Marcus took off his glasses and put them in the breast pocket of his shirt. Taking a couple of steps closer to Angel. "I'll remember that." looking Angel straight in the eye he began to chant. "Alli permutat anmia kimota. Alli permutat anmia kimota."

Angel laughed lightly. "You might wanna think twice about trying to cast a sp..."

Red and white light streamed from the old man into Angel, while blue and white light streamed into Angel from above and a second blue and white light streamed from Angel's chest to Marcus.

After the light vanished, Angel looked around, shrugging his shoulders. Marcus stared at Angel, eyes slightly squinted.

"You are me." The old man pointed out.

Angel grabbed Marcus by the shoulders and head butted him, then lowered the unconscious old man into a chair. "That's gonna smart later."

0o0o0

Angel walked out of the gate of the Moserrat and started walking down the sidewalk.

"Ah, hello!" Cordelia called from behind him.

Angel turned around and saw Cordelia sitting at the wheel of his convertible. He walked over, laughing as he leaned his arm on the top of the windshield. "He-llo."

"So, what did you find at the old folks home?" She asked.

"Uh, nothing." Angel said. "Didn't pan out. How about you?"

Cordelia smile and sat up straighter. "I got a two-month free trial membership, and I made some new friends..." She shrugged defeated. "Alright. I got nothing."

"Pretty clear we're barking up the wrong tree here, huh?"

Cordelia paused for a moment. "Yeah. Well, get in. I'll take you back to the hotel."

Angel smirked and got into the car, putting his arm on the back of Cordelia's seat.

"Alright! You and me." Angel nodded. "Going back to the hotel. Nice, huh?"

Cordelia looked at him oddly. "Are you alright?"

"Honey, I've never been better." Angel smiled.

0o0o0

Angel followed Cordy into the lobby of the Hyperion.

"Nice!" Angel laughed then watched as Cordelia walked around the main desk. "You supposed to be back there?" He tapped the small bell on the desk. "Ding, ding! Paying customers. Hellooo." He whistled

"I wonder where Buffy is." Cordelia glanced around then picked up the file from Buffy's desk, she picked up an old book, turning it over in her hand before tossing it back on the desk. Buffy must have been doing some research on something and then went to bed.

"Slow night, huh?" Angel asked.

"Yeah." Cordelia said looking at the papers in the folder. "But maybe Wes, Doyle or Gunn found out something."

"Wes... Gunn." Angel muttered then noticed a stand of 'Angel Investigations' business cards on the counter with each one of the team members names on them. Angel quietly added "They're a great part of our investigating team. Hmm." he looked around the hotel. "Working here with us in this old abandoned hotel."

He picked up one of Cordelia's cards. "Cordelia..." He said as she turned to look at him. "…have I ever told you, you are a very beautiful woman?"

Cordelia went back to sorting through the papers on Buffy's desk, moving several books to the side. Buffy wasn't one to leave books out on her desk, something must be up. "Ha, ha. Very funny. I know you never said anything that tacky or overt to Fred. But you're still gonna have that talk" She said walking back around the desk with the folder in her hand. "whether you want to or not."

"Talk with Fred." Angel repeated.

"Yes!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Just... keep it simple. One: you're not like other men. Two: there is no room in the workplace for romance."

"Romance with Fred." Angel said with his mouth hanging open. "So, I'm a..." He looked down at his clothes. "Obviously."

Cordelia turned around to leave. "Get some rest. See you tomorrow."

0o0o0

Marcus woke up in his chair rubbing his head, looking around and tried to get up but couldn't, he tried again and still couldn't get up. He put both hands on the arms of the chair and pushing himself to his feet. He walked over to look in a mirror but can only see a blurry man shape. Putting on his glasses he watched Marcus reflection become clear.

Marcus quietly walked through the lobby of the Monserrat to the receptionist desk, picking up the phone and dialed.

0o0o0

Angel was looking through papers in a cabinet in his office when the phone started to ring but he let the machine get it. He heard a woman's voice come on saying "You've reached the offices of Angel Investigations. Please leave a message after the tone." the machine beeped and he heard Marcus' voice. "Buffy? Cordelia? Are you there? Pick up!"

Angel picked up the phone. "Hey, Angel. How's my head? Hope you put some ice on it. Sweet deal you've got going on here, pal. Love the hotel. And Cordelia …. whoa! That's how I spell w-o-m-a-n!"

"Where is she?" Marcus asked.

Angel smiled. "You don't have to worry about anything except eating some nice soft foods and staying out of Ryan's way."

Marcus looked confused. "Ryan?"

Ryan the orderly took the phone from the old man. "You wouldn't think that we just talked about this!" He hung up the phone. "There go your phone privileges for the rest of the month."

0o0o0

Angel took the tape out of the answering machine and smashed it with a weight from his desk. He couldn't risk anyone hearing the message and finding out that he wasn't really Angel.

0o0o0

Ryan started walking Marcus down a hall at the Monserrat. "You know you're not supposed to be out of your room at this hour."

"I was stretching my legs." Marcus said.

Ryan put a hand over his name badge: "Who am I?"

"You're Ryan."

Ryan laughed. "At least you're not having an episode. My advice, Marcus... if you start thinking you're a twenty-four year old stud, or a famous skateboarder, keep it to yourself. Unless you wanna wake up in ISO in restraints again. Copy?"

Marcus pointed to himself. "I know who I am."

"Then let's get you back to beddy-bye." Ryan said guiding Marcus back to his room.

0o0o0

Cordelia walked into Angel's office to find Angel slumped asleep on top of the desk with papers all over the whole room. "Angel!" She shouted.

Angel's head jerked up, obscured by the page of paper that he was sleeping on, still stuck to his face.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked.

Angel pulled the paper off his face and took a quick glance around. "Uh... hey, doll. I ah," He put some papers back into an open file. "was working on the case. I must have dozed off."

"You were too tired to go up to your room?" Cordelia questioned.

"My room, right." Angel nodded. "which I have upstairs. Well, you know me. Always giving a hundred percent." He got up and looked through the mess of papers. "Now what did I do with the darn case file..."

"You gave it to me yesterday." Cordelia said quietly.

"Ha. Must be getting old." Angel reached for the file but Cordy put it behind her back.

"Not until you have that talk with Fred."

Wesley walked in carrying an old English teapot. "You know there is something about brewed tea you simply cannot replicate with a bag." looking around he saw the mess. "What happened here?"

Angel shuffled papers together. "I was just looking for something. Uh, I'll clean it up!"

Cordelia turned to leave then looked at Angel one last time. "Don't avoid the talk."

"I know." He said as she left. "I know."

Wesley walked around the desk, picking up some of the papers, and looked over the mess.

"Hey. How're you doing?" Angel asked slightly uncomfortable.

"Alright. Well..." Wesley motioned to the mess all over the desk and floor. "You?"

Angel pulled up a chair on the other side of his desk and sat down. "So, we gotta talk. The thing is, I've got nothing against you personally. It's just..."

Wesley raised his head to stare at Angel who shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Angel looked away from Wesley. "Uh oh, this is gonna be harder than I-I thought. I just don't know how to spit this out."

Wesley walked around the desk and sat down on the edge facing Angel. "Angel. Whatever it is, you know I'm here for you." He reached out a hand towards Angel, and Angel hurriedly scoots his chair back.

"Yeah. That may be the problem." Angel laughed, uncomfortably. "I mean, whatever we ...had..." Angel shrugged. "whatever we... did. I just think that we should keep that... behind us." He shrugged. "Start from scratch. You know, two men working side by side. But, you know, none of that...funny stuff."

Wesley sat up straight with a slight frown on his face. Angel offered his hand. "Shake on that?"

"I guess." Wesley said shaking his hand.

"Ah! How about a hug!" Angel pulled a stiff Wesley in for a hug.

"Wesley, foods here!" Cordelia called.

"Okay." Wesley mumbled into Angel's shoulder.

Angel pulled back from the hug. "Wesley?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know..." Angel paused. "...where Fred is?"

"Uhm - up in her room I'd expect."

"HER room." Angel smiled. "Right. - Somebody say something about food? I could eat a horse." He walked out where Gunn had just shown up with the food.

"Breakfast burritos all around." Gunn said.

"Thanks, bro." Angel said putting a few dollars in Gunn's shirt pocket and grabbed a burrito. "Keep the change."

Gunn chuckled at his boss' odd behavior. "O...kay."

"Did you get anything from the hotel staff?" Wesley asked Gunn.

"Yeah." Gunn nodded. "I did. All these guys ran up huge service bills, mostly alcohol. Well, at least they went out partying. Oh, and I got copies of their telephone bills, too."

"Isn't that illegal?" Angel asked with his mouth full as Doyle walked into the hotel. "I mean, don't these guys deserve a little privacy?"

They all turn to stare at Angel.

"What?"

"Why are you eating?" Doyle asked.

"I'm hungry." Angel shrugged.

"Looks like they called the same number." Wesley said showing the papers to Doyle.

"Yeah, saw that, too. Checked it out." Gunn said pulling out a paper and handing it to Wesley. "First class escorts, La Brea and Sixth."

Angel got up and moved over to them.

"Escorts..." Cordelia gave them an odd look. "Oh, you mean hookers?"

Gunn took the paper out of Wesley's hand. "I should probably interview them right away. While the trail is hot."

Doyle took the paper back. "Ah, I'll take dis one. Ya interviewed the hotel staff. It's only fair if we divvy it up."

Gunn took the paper again. "Yeah, but I figured it out."

Cordelia grabbed the paper: "I'll interview the hookers. Are there any men who aren't just dogs?"

"Not very many, I'm afraid." Angel leaned over closer to Doyle. "You know a woman is more than a piece of meat. I'm sorry. That's just how I feel."

0o0o0

Angel was in his office shredding the newspaper clippings of the mysterious dead guys. Then sat back with a sigh, putting his feet up on the desk and picked up a martini glass sitting on the desk to take a sip.

"What are you doing?" A blonde asked, he recognized her voice from the answering machine.

Angel smiled at her. "Hey, Sweet Thing."

"Sweet Thing?" Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and motioned towards the martini glass. "What is wrong with you?"

"Where have you been hiding?" He asked getting up and walking towards her.

Raising her eyebrows at him, she looked annoyed. "Hiding? I wasn't hiding." She shrugged. "I was just really tired."

"Have I ever told you..." He smiled. "...that you are a VERY beautiful woman."

Buffy eyed him suspiciously and asked again. "What is wrong with you?"

"Do you like olives?" He grinned taking the olive out of his glass.

"No." She said matter a factly. "There is something seriously wrong with you. You are avoiding everything..."

"Tell you what, I have some work to finish up here..." He motioned towards his desk. "But why don't you go get dressed up and we can have a night out on the town?"

Buffy shook her head and turned to walk away. That guy was not Angel, she just didn't know what to do about it.

Angel raised his eyebrows at the blonde walking away. "What just happened?" He set down his glass just as a brunette walked into the office.

"What'cha doin'?" The brunette asked the same question as the blonde but in a sweeter southern voice.

Angel smiled at her, let's try this again. "Well. Hey, sweetheart. Where you've been hiding?"

Fred smiled and shook her head. "You know, up in my room. Everybody keeps saying 'Fred, you should get out more' so, well..."

"Fred... mmm." Angel took a sip from his glass then got up and walked around the desk standing in front of Fred. "Have I ever told you, you are a very beautiful woman?"

"Uhm – no?"

"Do you like olives?" Angel pulls the toothpick with the olive out of his drink just as he had with the blonde and offered it to Fred, who ate it out of his hand.

"I have some work I have to finish up here. Why don't you go on upstairs and put on something pretty and we'll go out on the town." He smiled. This one was so much easier than the blonde.

"Really?"

Angel tapped her on the nose with the toothpick: "And that's just for starters."

"Okay, I'll just..." Fred stuttered over her words. "I'll go and okay." She said before running from the room.

Angel sat back down and began shredding more papers when a brunette woman in a dress suit walked in. "Hello, what can I do for you?"

"For starters, you need a new woman at the front desk. Buffy is horrible." The women replied.

"Buffy..." He repeated, the blonde must have been Buffy that everyone kept asking about.

"Now, don't go all nightstalker on me. I'm here to do you a favor."

Angel looked the woman up and down then picked up his glass and walking around the table. He poured two martini glasses.

"Hello..." The woman said irritated.

"How about a drink?" He asked holding the glass out to her. "Have I ever told you you're a very beautiful woman?"

She hesitantly accepted the glass and Angel clinked his against hers.

0o0o0

Marcus walked down some steps in the Monserrat, peeking around the corner at the end of the hallway to see the security guard at the desk reading a newspaper then scooted back away. He noticed the fire alarm on the wall and glanced back at the guard station, then pulled the alarm. The alarm sounded and the guard jumped up from his desk and hurried away to look for the source.

Marcus tried to run towards the desk and the exit but looked down at his left arm, grabbing it with his other hand. He started having trouble breathing.

"M-my heart..." he slowly collapsed to the ground

0o0o0

The brunette sat in a chair across from Angel, as he sat on his desk. She set down her empty glass.

"Want another, Lilah?" he asked

She shook her head. "I'm gonna have to call a taxi as it is." Lilah got up to leave, only to run into Angel's leg, stretched straight out blocking her way.

Angel laughed. "Oops!"

"What do you want?"

Angel brushed the hair back from Lilah's face. "You. Don't tell me you never thought about it."

Angel stood up, leaned in close and kissed her. Lilah pulled away shaking her head a little. Angel smiled at her then pulled her in for another kiss, which Lilah returned passionately.

The two started groping each other and Lilah ripped Angel's shirt open. Angel pushed his arm over the stuff on his desk, knocking it all to the floor and pushed her down onto it, quickly slipping his hands up her skirt to remove her panties.

Fred walks up to the open door of the office, wearing a long dress with a shy smile on her face. She walked in to see Angel and Lilah with their hands all over each other. With wide eyes she turned and ran away. Buffy looked at Fred worried. "What..." Buffy trailed off as she looked in Angel office to see Angel nuzzling Lilah's neck. Suddenly, Angel's face changed and he bit her neck, Buffy also turned and ran away as Lilah lets out a surprised scream

Lilah pushed Angel off her and got up off the desk. "You son of a bitch!"

"Whoa! I'm sorry! It just...felt like the thing to do." He looked down at the cross Lilah was suddenly holding. "Whoa! What are you born again all of the sudden?"

"I don't know what kind of sick game this is, Angel, but I hope you enjoyed it because you're never getting this close to me again." She bent down to grab her panties but she didn't want to take her eyes off him so she didn't grab at the right spot.

Angel tried to get closer only to find himself shying back from the cross in her hands. Lilah walked out forgetting about her panties and Angel lifted a hand to run it through his hair, only to touch the thickened brow of his forehead.

"What?" He said confused. "This is new." He explored his face with his fingers, pricking his right thumb on his fangs. "Ow!"

Angel stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked on it, took it back out to look at it in surprise, then sucked some more. "Ah. Hmm..." still sucking on his thumb he walked into the bathroom but he didn't see his reflection in the mirror. "What the..."

0o0o0

Marcus looked around, he was lying in a hospital bed with an IV going into the back of his right hand, he watched the lights on the heart monitor beside his bed.

"You're awake." Ryan said coming in to check on him.

Marcus looked up at him: "It's beating." He placed his right hand on his chest over his heart, gently keeping the beat.

"That was your fourth heart attack, Marcus." Ryan told the old man. "I don't know if you can survive another one. You got lucky this time. Try something like that again, you may not be."

Marcus returned to watching the heart monitor display.


	18. It Was Angel

Ba2006- Thank you! I hope you like this one too.

Guest- Thank you! I'm happy that you are loving this story!

Allison117- Angel is always making out with someone else! Brace yourself! LOL Thank you for the wonderful review.

Em- I love that you are obsessed with this story! Hearing that definitely motivates me to update more often!

Guest- I'm hoping to keep updating while I can, I don't have many more chapters to post that are already written and once my semester starts up on Monday, I won't have as much time to focus on writing but I will do the best I can. Thank you for reviewing!

Chapter 18: It Was Angel

Buffy ran over to the filing cabinet, she couldn't find anything. It was like Cordelia went back to her old ways of filing... how long had she been sleeping? Everything was a mess. She tried to think, what was happening the last she knew?... Cordelia and Angel were going to some old folks home. She couldn't remember the name though. She tapped her head as she paced, trying to think. "Monserrat!" She exclaimed before grabbing Angel's car keys. She went to run out the door when she suddenly felt her feet lift off the ground. "I so don't have time for this!"

0o0o0

"I do not believe it." Wesley shook his head. "This isn't like him."

"What? This is totally like him." Cordelia huffed. "Doing the mystery dance with some cheap blonde?"

"Brunette." Fred said quietly. "She was a cheap brunette."

Cordelia turned to Wesley. "You're right. This isn't like him."

"So, who was she?" Doyle asked.

"I don't think it matters who *she* was." Wesley answered. "The question is, who is he?"

"Uh-huh. We're all thinking it." Gunn said

"He's Angelus again." Cordelia nodded.

Fred looked confused. "Who's Angelus?"

"The bad-ass vamp Angel turns into when he gets cranky." Gunn answered.

"No, that's not what I meant. Why would Angel..." Wesley said holding up a few open books. "...need to read about vampires?"

Cordelia frowned. "He wouldn't."

"Wait." Gunn said holding out his hands. "What are you getting at?"

"This case we've been working on." Wesley began. "Each of the victims exhibited wild, uncharacteristic behavior just before they died. They weren't themselves."

"Oh!" Doyle exclaimed. "So, you think Angel's been infected by whatever got into those gym boys."

"Not 'whatever'" Wesley shook his head. "whomever. Cordelia, when you and Angel were at the gym did anything unusual happen to Angel?"

"No, not really." She shook her head. "I was with him pretty much the whole time. Except for when he went across the street to the..."

0o0o0

"Hey." Another patient said causing Marcus to jump and turn around. "What the hell are you doing out of bed? You trying to bust loose again, ain't you? Damn, Marcus. You don't quit, do you? Do you want to have another heart attack?"

"Look, I… I can't really explain this, but I NEED to get out of here." He put his hands on the man's shoulders. "Just... don't turn me in."

"Not gonna have to." The man said. "Your kid was signing in at reception when I came down."

"My kid?" He asked.

"M-hm." The man nodded before walking away.

"Hi dad." He heard a familiar voice say, he turned around to find someone he had missed very much.

He smiled. "Little One."

Buffy smiled at the sound of his nickname for her, without thinking she hugged him tight. "We have to get you out of here."

"Well, you apparently said you were my kid." He smiled at her. "Can't you just sign me out?"

"Right." Buffy nodded at Angel in Marcus' body. "I guess I could do that." She looked at him worriedly when he seemed to have a hard time breathing. "Are you okay?"

Angel nodded. "I recently had a heart attack though."

"Oh, my god!" Buffy gasped.

Angel shook his head and pushed Marcus' glasses further up his nose. "I'm fine, just a little short of breath."

"uh oh." Buffy whispered as she looked over her shoulder. "We have to get out of here." She wrapped his arm around her shoulder, trying to help him walk.

He looked behind them to see Marcus coming after them in his body.

"Never thought I would be running away from you again." Buffy said as they tried to hurry.

"Let's hope this time it ends differently."

Looking back at him only a few feet away, she pouted. There was no way she would have sex with Marcus in Angel's body! "Believe me, it will."

Marcus reached out, grabbing Buffy and throwing her into the closest room there was. He grabbed Angel by his shirt and dragged him in as well, throwing him in a chair.

Angel started to breath heavier and Buffy crawled dragged herself over to him. "Angel, are you okay?" She placed her hand on his knee and he brought his hand over hers as he nodded.

Marcus grabbed Buffy by the hair, pulling her to her feet and glared at her before he punched her in the face knocking her out.

"Buffy!" Angel shouted, but Marcus' body was too weak for him to do anything though.

Marcus looked down at her unconscious body on the floor. "I don't like her, she asked too many questions."

Angel couldn't take his eyes off her, trying to make sure she was still alive. He really missed his vampire abilities. When he saw that she was still breathing, he let out a small laugh at Marcus' comment. Buffy always did ask a lot of questions. "So, I guess you finally found a body that won't burn out, huh, Marcus?"

"Looks like."

"Only one way you can keep it though, right?" Angel asked smacking his fist against his heart. "You got to kill yourself!"

Marcus mimicked the gesture. "Mmm! I can live with that!"

"You sure?" Angel asked trying to catch his breath. "I don't think you really know what you're getting into."

Marcus stepped over Buffy's body, standing in the middle of the room. "Oh, I know what I'm getting into. You're the one that doesn't seem to know what you had. As far as I can tell you were the world's worst vampire. Vampires don't help people, you moron, they kill 'em! Here, let me show you."

Angel held up a hand to stop Marcus. "You may have the attitude, and you may have the power but there is one thing you don't have, and never will: friends. Five of them, standing behind you." Marcus spun around to see Angel's friends in the doorway. "with big, heavy things."

"Guys! It's about time. It's him." Marcus said. "He's the one who's been casting that spell."

"You're Angel?" Cordelia huffed. "With that cologne? I don't think so."

Gunn walked up and put his loaded crossbow against Angel's chest.

"Don't stake him." Angel said in Marcus' body. "I'm going to need my body back."

Marcus knocked Gunn's crossbow aside and lifted a tall lamp to push both Gunn and Wes into the wall. Marcus dropped the lamp and turned to run, right into Cordy and Fred and their wooden baseball bats, the girls began to hit him. Doyle used the lamp to swipe Marcus' legs out from under him causing him to fall to the floor. Marcus jumped back up, wrestled the bat away from Fred and turned with it towards Angel in Marcus' old body. Cordelia pulled out a tazer and hit Marcus with a charge of blue-white light. He landed face down, in an unmoving heap at Angel's feet.

"God, I love technology." Cordelia hurried over to Angel. "Are you alright?"

Angel nodded. "I gotta pee."

"Buffy!" Doyle hurried over to where Buffy was just starting to move again. "How did she get here?"

"Did you happen to notice a small Algurian conjuring orb?" Wesley asked Angel. "Could have been glowing."

"In his room, on a shrine."

"Then I was right." Wesley looked down at Angel's body. "Algurian body-switching spell. Keep an eye on him."

Fred hit Angel's body over the head, causing Gunn to jump.

"Fred!" Angel shouted. "He's out! He's out!"

They tied Angel's unconscious body to a chair in Marcus' room. Angel sat down on the chair across from him, Looking over at Buffy who was touching her head, like she was checking for blood as Wes handed him a piece of paper.

"Read this." The British man said.

Angel looked down at the paper. "Alli permutat anima kimota. Alli permutat anima kimota."

Angel's head came up, a blue light starts to issue from Marcus eyes and nose, a red one from Angel's eyes. The blue light disappears into Angel's mouth, while the red light enters Marcus as soon as the blue light leaves it. Another light streamed from Angel to Buffy's chest, still being weak from the blow Marcus had given her, the force of the light caused Buffy to lean against the wall for support.

Everyone looked questioningly from Buffy to Angel, wondering what had happened.

Marcus and Angel's head sagged onto their chests, but after a moment Angel's head comes back up. He looks up at Gunn, a slightly dazed expression on his face.

"It's cool, Gunn." Angel said. "It's me."

Gunn bends to untie Angel's hands.

"I got his conjuring stone." Cordelia said handing it to Angel.

"You can't take that!" Marcus shouted as Angel smashed it in his fist. "You... you don't deserve that body!

"Funny. I was gonna say the same thing to you." Angel said standing up. "I tell you why you have a weak heart, Marcus. You never use it."

Everyone started to leave the room, Angel held out his hand for Buffy. Instead of taking her hand, he put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Little One. Let's go home."

"You're pathetic!" Marcus shouted as he stood up. "You're all pa..."

Angel turned his head back around. "You should try and keep a lid on that rage, Marcus. It's... not healthy."

Angel and the gang walk out as Marcus fell back into his chair, clutching at his heart.

"Help..." Marcus moaned weakly.

Ryan and another attendant saw everyone coming out of Marcus room.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked.

Buffy looked back at the room then at Ryan. "Dad's having a bad night."

0o0o0

"Hi." Angel said as he walked up to Fred sitting in the garden reading a book.

"Hey." She said back. "How's your head? S-sorry about all that..." Fred made some awkward hitting movements.

"Ah, I... gather I.." Angel motioned to his head. "had it coming."

The brunette nodded. "Mmm. Yes."

Angel sat down beside her. "Fred, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

Fred put her book down and smiled at him. "Okay."

Angel sat there silently staring into the night for a moment.

"Is this about how you're not like other men..." Fred asked. "and how you're really fond of me, but that's as far as it goes?"

"Uhm... yeah." Angel looked surprised, maybe Fred already understood and Cordelia was wrong.

"Buffy explained it to me." Fred said with a small laugh. "She said you'd probably just screw it up."

"Oh, she did, did she?" Angel nodded and looked down at the ground. "And she's probably right."

Fred sighed and looked down.

"What?" Angel asked.

"It's like something out of Fitzgerald." Fred said looking down at her book. "The man who can have everything but love. Well, maybe in some ways you're better off, because love is... Well, in a way it's everything. But it's also heartache and disappointment. And those are good things to avoid."

0o0o0

Buffy glanced out the doors to the garden where Angel was sitting with Fred. In a way, she was jealous of Fred, she had Angel wrapped around her little southern finger for the past 3 weeks. She was hoping the little talk she had with Fred would help because she knew Angel would just stumble over the words and end up making Fred like him even more. It was easy to do that, he was an easy guy to fall for.

"What'cha doing, Lass?" Doyle asked bringing Buffy out of her thoughts.

Looking up from the case folder quickly she smiled at Doyle. "Just putting Marcus away."

"Delia will point out that we didn't get paid for that case." Doyle laughed. "It doesn't count."

"It happened." Buffy shook her head. "It counts."

"Ya know..." Doyle looked out at Angel and Fred talking. "He doesn't like her like that."

Buffy nodded. "Maybe."

"You don't need to be jealous."

"I'm... I'm not.." Buffy shook her head and pursed her lips. "She gets to go out in the garden which is more than I can say about me."

"Buff, I know you aren't jealous of her because she gets to sit out there in that dirty garden." Doyle shook his head. "Besides, Lorne told you weeks ago that spell he did is still in effect. Darla attacking you was just her being a bitch."

Buffy laughed then became serious. "You really don't think he likes her? I mean, I heard him and Cordelia talking about setting Fred straight about her feelings for him and I knew he wouldn't be able to do it so I did it. I just hope he isn't mad at me for it."

Doyle shook his head as Angel opened the door and walked in with Fred laughing. They walked over to the counter where Buffy and Doyle were. Wesley and Cordelia walked up beside them.

"Buffy, can I ask you a question?" Wesley asked.

Buffy nodded. "You can even ask me two."

Wesley looked at her confused and then nodded. "Oh, right. How did you know? That Angel wasn't Angel? You had been up in your room most of the time when everything had taken place, we were around him far longer than you..."

"Yeah." Cordelia nodded. "We just thought he was going crazy or something."

Angel looked at Cordelia offended then turned to Buffy, he was curious of the answer also.

Buffy shrugged. "He called me Sweet Thing." She turned to look at Angel. "You only call me Little One."

"See!" Doyle exclaimed throwing his arms up. "If only he had a cute pet name for all of us."

"... and his eyes." Buffy added.

Fred nodded and looked at Angel. "Eyes are the passage to the soul."

"Angel doesn't have a soul." Wesley told Fred.

"They are softer." Buffy whispered looking down at her hands. "Marcus didn't have the same look in his eyes."

"Angel has a look in his eyes?" Cordelia asked leaning closer to Angel to see.

He stepped back and swatted at her.

Cordelia shrugged. "I don't see it."

"One thing I saw…" Doyle commented. "Anyone else see that light thing going into Buffy earlier?"

Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty weird. How was Buffy even connected to anything that was going on with Marcus?"

Buffy shrugged. "It was weird though."

Angel shook his head. "I didn't see anything."

"It was coming from you!" Doyle shouted.

Angel looked confused. "What was it?"

"It looked exactly like whatever was transferring from Marcus to you." Wesley told him. "It's just another question to add to Buffy's case."

Buffy took a deep breath and stepped back from the group. There were way to many questions already, they didn't need to add more. "Well, I am going to go to bed."

"Again?" Doyle asked. "I think you took a coma already."

"You also took a pretty nasty bump to the head earlier tonight." Wesley reminded her. "You should try to stay up a while longer."

Cordelia nodded. "Plus, we didn't even eat yet."

"I'm okay." Buffy nodded and walked towards the stairs.

Angel watched her walk up the stairs and turn down the hallway to where her bedroom was. He was worried about her, he just didn't know what he was worried about.

Buffy's bedroom door opened a crack, and Cordelia whispered. "Knock, knock." Before walking in the blonde's room, to see Buffy laying in bed. "You okay?"

"Of course." Buffy answered, rolling over to look at her friend.

"I just wanted to make sure." Cordelia smiled. "You have been tired a lot, especially the last few days."

Buffy laughed lightly. "Yeah, your boss switching bodies with some crazy old man takes a lot out of you."

Cordelia shook her head, she was really curious about what it was that went out of Angel and into Buffy and she wondered if that had something to do with why Buffy was so tired when Marcus was in Angel's body, but now that they were switched back, it seemed like Buffy was still tired. Buffy was a while basket of mysteries and they needed to work everything out but it seemed like as soon as they started to unravel something, another mystery popped up. "Okay, well, I just wanted to make sure. I'm going to run next door and talk to Angel real fast… let me know if you need anything."

"Angel left." Buffy called to the brunette when she was about to leave the room.

Cordelia shook her head. "I didn't see him leave."

Buffy shrugged. "He got a phone call about forty-five minutes ago and then left."

"How do you know that?"

Buffy looked at the wall. "Thin walls. He left really fast though, slamming of the phone and door all included."

Cordelia frowned. "I wonder what that was about. I mean, if it was case related, he would have told us."

Buffy sat up, looking at the brunette, confused. "Do we even have a case right now?"

Cordelia pouted. "No." She liked it when they had a case, that meant money was coming in.

0o0o0

Angel crouched down on the balls of his feet, on top of the roof, he had asked Merl to keep an eye and ear out for anything Darla related, well, asked was a pretty strong word. It was more like he hung Merl upside down in a bucket of water until Merl agreed to help him. Tonight, the Parasite Demon came through. Darla had been spotted in an old warehouse down by the pier, Angel didn't trust her. If she was in an old warehouse, that only meant one thing, she was planning something and she needed a lot of space for it. He narrowed his eye when he saw her walk out of the warehouse, she was alone, which seemed odd if she was planning something. Darla always had lackeys, and never did anything herself. The last few months was also the first time in a couple centuries that Darla didn't have her vampire childe, Drusilla with her.

He didn't know why he hadn't noticed sooner, it never seemed to register in his mind that Drusilla was nowhere to be seen in months. But, since Darla had bitten Buffy, he was seeing everything so clearly now. He didn't know what Darla was up to but he knew it was bad, and he had a feeling that it had something to do with Buffy. He couldn't let anything happen to Buffy, he didn't know what it was about her, but there was definitely something special about her, and not just special to him. Buffy had a bigger purpose in this world, he just didn't know what it was yet.

Angel silently jumped off the roof of the tall building, landing gracefully on the cement in the shadows. He knew that Darla would be able to sense him coming, but there really was no other way to go about it, and he didn't trust anyone else to do the job.

Darla froze as soon as she sensed that he had landed. "Angel."

"Darla." He growled, stepping out from the shadows.

The blonde vampire let out a nervous laugh, she knew that growl, it was burned into her memory, but the last time she had heard it was when he had just been turned into a vampire and she confirmed to him that his wife, Elizabeth was died. "Angel, I'm sure your upset that your little friend is dead…"

"She's not dead." He gritted out between his teeth.

Darla spun around, shocked. "What? How? I made sure that I took enough blood!"

Angel grinded his teeth together. "So, you aren't even going to deny it?"

Darla scoffed. "I did what needed to be done, just like I did before! She was in the way!"

Angel saw red when she had repeated the same words about Buffy as she had about his Elizabeth, and he lunged at her, growling loudly. Darla tried to get out of the way but Angel was faster than she was despite the fact that she was older than him. Grabbing her blonde hair in his fist, he slammed her face against the hard brick of the old warehouse.

"What makes her so special, Angel?" Darla screamed, trying to get out of his grip. He hadn't laid a hand on her since his wife had died, he had tried to kill her back then but their Sire and Childe bond was to great, it would be the same now. "You couldn't kill me when your sweet precious Elizabeth died, and you can't do it now!"

"You murdered her!" Angel grounded out, only inches from Darla's face.

Darla's mouth fell open in shock, he had never said those words to her before. He never could make her take the blame before, their bond was too strong for him to do so. What was different now?

Angel shook his head, throwing her to the ground. "You won't do the same to Buffy."

"I will." Darla promised. "Clearly, I need to stick around to make sure the job is done."

Angel looked down at his vampire sire, shaking his head. He felt all the anger boil up to the surface. He had to do this, it wasn't just for Buffy, it was for Elizabeth too. The two woman that ever meant anything to him, his wife was long gone but he could still protect the woman that he could never admit his true feelings for.

Darla stood up, walking towards her childe. "What is it, Angel? Tell me. What is so special about her? About THEM? That blood… it's so …" Darla turned her back to Angel, it was the biggest and last mistake she would ever make. In one swift movement, Angel pulled a stake out of his jacket, plunging it into her heart, through her back. Darla turned her head to him and whispered. "Angel?" Then there was nothing but ash, he didn't even wait for the ash to hit the ground, as he walked away.

0o0o0

A few days later, Cordelia looked up from her cup of coffee at Buffy. She had been acting odd all day, Cordelia could tell she was having a hard time focusing on her work. Buffy would start to do one thing but stopping before she was finished just to start something else. Cordelia completely lost track of how many cups of coffee the blonde had already had that morning. "Hey, Buffy."

The blonde looked up at her brunette friend. "Yeah, Cor?"

"How you doin'?" She asked with a small smile.

Buffy shrugged and looked down at the file she was currently looking through. "Okay... You?"

"Great!" Cordelia said with a large smile then walked over to where her best friend was standing. "So, you like... saw the cheap brunette Angel was making out with, right?"

"Making out?" Buffy questioned with her eyebrows raised. "They were doing more than just making out."

"Seriously?" Cordelia jerked forward setting her cup on the counter so she didn't dump it. Earning a nod from the blonde. "Fred said they were making out...How much more?"

"Let's just say..." Buffy pursed her lips. "All the bases were covered..."

Cordelia's eyes got large with shock. "There was a home run?"

Buffy shook her head. "I think he was just about to hit the home plate when something interrupted them."

"Who was it?!" Cordelia shouted then looked around to make sure they were still alone. "The curiosity is killing me!"

"Lilah" The blonde answered simply.

Cordelia looked confused for a moment. "Lilah?" She started following Buffy further into the lobby of the hotel. "As in Wolfram & Hart Lilah? Skanky lawyer woman?"

Buffy nodded as she picked up a pillow off the couch near the window to Angel's office. She fluffed it and set it back down just too busy herself. "Oh, you don't even know half of the skanky part! I found her underwear on the floor in his office last night, she might as well been wearing nothing!"

"Ewww." Cordelia cringed. "Maybe we should send them back to her at her place of work since she left them in our place of work."

Buffy looked around and then whispered. "This isn't just my place of work, this is also the place I live. It's so gross. But it's also the place Angel lives and he can do whatever he wants."

"But it wasn't Angel." Cordelia reminded her. "It was Marcus in Angel's body."

Buffy shrugged as she picked up another pillow. "Yeah, well it was defiantly Angel last night in his room."

Cordelia took the pillow out of the blonde's hand, she sat down pulling Buffy with her. "What happened last night?"

Buffy shrugged again. "I'm guessing skank came back for some more...and got it."

The brunette let out a cough and awkwardly looked away then back at Buffy. "Maybe he was watching porn."

"No." Buffy shook her head. "It was Angel."

Letting out a sigh Cordelia put her arm around Buffy. "Is that what is wrong? Are you hurt..."

Looking down at the floor Buffy nodded, but she knew she didn't have any reason to be hurt by the fact that Angel had sex with someone else. They didn't have a relationship and there was no chance of one. "I know, I don't have the right to be hurt or jealous or anything else I am feeling but I can't make it go away."

"It's understandable, Buffy." Cordelia said lightly rubbing her back. "You are in love."

Buffy bit her lip and nodded. "Maybe you should have the same talk with me that I had with Fred."

"No." Cordelia said bluntly. "You know why?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Because I still think you and Angel would be amazing together!" The brunette smiled brightly.

Buffy shook her head with a small smile. If only Angel would realize that.

Cordelia got up from the couch and walked over to pick up her coffee and Angel made his way down the stairs, he smiled when he saw Buffy sitting on the edge of the couch. Ever since he had staked Darla, he was feeling lighter… happier. "Hey."

Buffy glanced up at him before getting up from the couch and walking past him to go up the stairs he had just come from.

Angel looked behind him, watching her leave without saying a word. "What is wrong with her?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes with her back turned to Angel so he couldn't see, then turned around to face him and shook her head. "I don't know, probably nothing. Just that time of the month or something."

Angel raised his eyebrows, it wasn't that time of the month for Buffy. He was a vampire, he would know.

0o0o0

Angel looked up from his desk where he was looking over a document, he could hear Buffy coming down the stairs. Not just hear her though, the pull he felt when he first met her was still there now, months later. He got up from his desk with a smile on his face, he hadn't seen her since that morning when she left without saying a word to him. He was going to ask her if she would like to read together tonight like they used to, he really missed having those moments with her. Fred was clearly doing a lot better now, ever since Buffy had that talk with her, she was staying in her room a little more but she did venture out into the hotel earlier that day. He was worried that Fred had only started coming out of her room more to see him.

"Hey, Little One." He greeted as he rounded the corner. He stopped in his tracks when he saw that she was wearing a black sleeveless mini dress. Mini didn't even begin to cover it, in fact it was hardly covering her! Where did she even get a dress that looked like that? Angel swallowed thickly, watching her fiddle with the charm bracelet on her wrist. "Are you going out?"

She looked up from her bracelet into his eyes. "Yeah." She shifted uncomfortable in her high heels. "Everyone keeps reminding me that the spell Lorne did is still in place so everything that goes bump in the night doesn't know they want to kill me. Why not go out?"

"Where..." Angel looked down at her open toe pumps. "Where are you going?"

"Some club." Buffy shrugged.

Angel looked up at her shocked, after what Marcus did at the club while he was in Angel's body Buffy was going to a club? "No!" He exclaimed. "If it's one thing I have learned living in this city... Clubs are NOT safe!"

Buffy looked at him confused. "Not safe from who? Demons or the evil that are men?" She asked irritated.

"Both!" He shouted at her.

"I haven't had fun in so long." She whispered. "I just want to have fun. Besides, Cordelia will be there."

Angel sighed, he wanted her to have fun but even more than that he wanted her safe. "That still doesn't make me feel better."

"Cordelia goes out to clubs all the time." She reasoned with him.

He stepped closer to her, placing his hands on her arms. He looked a little offended when she flinched. "Cordelia isn't you."

"Dennis will be there." She whispered.

Angel raised his eyebrows at her. "That isn't going to make anything better. In fact, it's worse."

Buffy shook her head with a small smile. "He isn't that bad."

"Are you kidding me?" Angel said, not dropping his hands from her arms. He didn't want to lose that contact. "He can't protect you! And he's so handsy with you!"

Buffy looked down at his hands on her arms and shrugged out of his grasp. "Maybe handsy isn't so bad right now."

"Your perfect boyfriend." He whispered just as Dennis walked into the hotel lobby.

Dennis smiled at Buffy. "You look beautiful."

Angel silently kicked himself, he should have said that!

Buffy smiled and shyly looked down at the floor. She wasn't used to that kind of treatment from guys. "Thank you."

Angel watched Buffy leave with the former ghost, he didn't like this. He didn't like it at all.

0o0o0

Buffy laughed from her spot at the bar as she watched Dennis out on the dance floor with some brunette. According to Cordelia his dance moves had really improved since the first time Dennis had gone out with Cordelia. The other two seemed to be having a great time and had met new people at the club, Buffy had not. She was having a good time but she hadn't met anyone. Whenever someone came up to her she was worried they were going to impregnate her with their demon spawn or give her a third eye or put some demon energy into her. Great, now she added paranoia on to her already complicated situation with men. She looked over to the corner of the club where she had last spotted Cordelia, she was still there talking to a tall dark-haired man. Pulling her cell phone out of her purse she saw that she had several text messages from Angel asking if she was okay. She smiled at the thought of him being worried about her. She looked up at her two friends again and sighed before sending Cordelia a fast text saying she was going to head home.

Sliding off the bar stool she made her way for the door when a guy stopped her. He looked familiar but couldn't place him.

"Leaving so early?" He asked her.

Buffy nodded. "I better be getting home."

"You know..." The blonde man looked up towards the door. "It can be kind of dangerous out there, need some company?"

Shaking her head, she walked past him, he definitely had the creepy vibe coming from him.

She was almost back to The Hyperion when she heard a noise behind her, she turned around but didn't see anything. Shrugging, she turned back around, colliding with a chest.

She let out a small scream when she looked up to see a vampire face. Of course, she would come in contact with a vampire on the first night she went out. The vampire smiled at her and she pushed him away from her. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm. "I don't feel like playing tonight."

"Then lets not!" Buffy elbowed the vampire in the face causing him to let go of her. She quickly opened her small black purse and pulled out a small wooden stake.

The vampire looked at her surprised, she didn't look like someone who would know how to defend herself. He punched her on the left side of her face. Her head whipped to the side with a shocked look on her face then smiled at the vampire. She had some frustrations to work out that cleaning just didn't seem to help with.


	19. Fredless

I'm sorry that it has been over a year since I updated any of my stories. Sadly, my computer crashed, resulting in losing everything that I had written. Once I got a new laptop, things got crazy with school and work. I hope to keep updating this story and I'm thinking about doing a re-write on the last chapter of I'm All In that was posted, that wasn't the original chapter that I had written but I tried to re-write it quickly after my computer had crashed and I'm just not satisfied with it.

I'm going to try to update as much as I can, but even though I graduated from college, work is still hectic. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and chapter 20 is almost ready too!

Thank you for all of the reviews on chapter 18!

Guest: Yes! The avoidance with Buffy and Angel is crazy, they should just sit down and talk everything out, but we know they won't!

Allison117: Angel might just figure out how he feels soon. He should know how he feels since he has a pet name for her, right? LOL

Em- The stranger in the club is someone specific but it isn't Spike, sorry. I'm not saying that Spike won't make an appearance though.

Vincatfan73- You will have to keep reading to find out about all the action going on in Angel's room.

Ba2006- Thank you! Sorry for making you wait so long, I hope it doesn't happen again.

Redruby8- We will be finding out about Buffy very soon! But, you know there is always more to the puzzle that is Buffy.

Chapter 19: Fredless

Buffy dusted off her dress as she walked into The Hyperion, they should make vampire dust easier to get off clothes. She looked at her reflection in the glass door, there was a slight bruise forming on her face where the vampire had punched her. Then something on her arm caught her eye, she looked down and saw a cut with some blood on it. Damn vampire.

Suddenly Angel came down the stairs with a startled look on his face. "You're hurt!"

"Wha..." Buffy was about to ask how he knew but then she remembered the smelling thing. Still weird. "It's nothing."

"I told you he couldn't protect you." Angel said looking over her, he saw the bruise on her face, tilting her chin up so he could get a better look. Shaking his head, he looked down at the cut on her arm. "Dennis is worthless."

Buffy shook her head. "I wasn't with Dennis."

Angel narrowed his eyes at her. "You said you were going to be with them. Where are Cordy and Dennis?"

"Still at the club." She shrugged. "I guess. I left early, wasn't as much fun as I thought it was going to be."

Taking her by the hand he pulled her into his office, getting out the first aid kit. "They just let you leave by yourself?"

"I didn't really give them a choice." She winced as he cleaned her cut. "They were off with other people, I was alone at the bar. I text Cordy to tell her I was leaving."

Angel shook his head. "I text you. You didn't respond back." He looked up at her face. "I was worried."

"Yeah?" She asked with a little hopefulness in her voice.

"Of course." He said with a small smile as he put a bandage on her arm. "What happened?"

Buffy shrugged. "I was almost back here, and I heard something behind me but there was nothing there when I looked. I turned back around and literally bumped into a vampire."

"A vampire?" Angel asked. "How did you get away with just a bruise and a cut?"

Buffy shrugged, she didn't want to answer that question. Angel had secrets, so could she.

"Did someone show up?" Angel questioned. "Someone helped you?" When she didn't answer, he held his hand out to her. "Come on, let's go get something to put on that bruise."

Buffy nodded and let him pull her to her feet. "I think Gunn ate the last steak, thank god."

"I'm not going to put steak on your face, Buffy." Angel laughed. "Unless you would rather have steak. I was going to get some ice."

0o0o0

Buffy sat in between Angel's legs, leaning her back against his chest. She closed her eyes and listened to him read her favorite poem from her book. She wished they could have done this instead of her going to the club. Some people might find it boring but to her, this was Heaven. She really missed doing this with Angel, their closeness. She felt the breeze come in Angel's bedroom window, blowing her hair gently out of her face. She loved sitting in his room, everything smelled like him, it felt like forever since she had been in his room just sitting with him as they read. It had been a very long month.

Angel stopped in the middle of reading the poem out loud, he looked up. "Someone is here."

Buffy opened her eyes, turning her head slightly to look up at him, he was looking straight forward as if he was listening to something. "It's Cordy." He whispered looking back down at Buffy's book and began reading again. She relaxed against him again until he finished the poem. He gently pushed her forward. "I am going to go talk to Cordelia for a moment."

"Angel..." Buffy whispered. "Don't get upset with her over what happened to me tonight. I was the one who left."

Angel nodded as he got up from the floor. It felt good to be back in his body, if he was still in Marcus' body, he wouldn't have been able to get off the floor. He wouldn't be able to be near Buffy, if it was one thing he realized while he was in Marcus' body was how much he would miss Buffy if he couldn't see her, even for a day. "I'll go easy on her for you, Little One."

0o0o0

Cordelia looked up when she heard someone coming down the stairs, she really hoped it was Buffy. Angel would kill her if Buffy didn't make it back here in one piece. She winced when she saw that it was Angel. "Hey Boss." She tried to sound like she wasn't panicking inside.

"Cordelia." He nodded walking down the stairs. "How was your night?"

"Good." She nodded. "Lots of fun."

Angel leaned against the stair railing. "Good to know. How was Buffy's night?"

"Great!" Cordelia laughed. "She had even more fun than I did."

Crossing his arms over his chest he watched her for a moment. "Really?"

Cordelia nodded but stopped when she saw Buffy walking down the stairs in her pajamas. "Damn." she whispered, then looked closer at Buffy, she had a bruise on her face. "Oh, my god! Buffy! What happened to you?" Not waiting for Buffy to answer she turned to Angel. "I am so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it, Cor." Buffy shrugged. "Did you get that guys number?"

"Did I ever!" Cordelia laughed. "He said he has a single friend, if you are interested."

"Thanks." Buffy pursed her lips. "But I think I am okay."

Cordelia turned to walk towards the couch, her feet were killing her, but she was also waiting for Angel to kill her. It should already be happening... why wasn't it happening?

Cordelia looked over her shoulder at Buffy and Angel to see the blonde walking past him, she placed her hand on his arm that was still crossed over his chest and whispered. "Thank you."

He nodded slightly, uncrossing his arms he slowly reached out taking a hold of Buffy's hand that was still lingering on his arm. He brought his other hand up, lightly tracing the side of her face where the bruise was. "For you, Little One." He whispered back.

Cordelia raised her eyebrows and quickly turned away. Did something happen she wasn't aware of? Earlier today Buffy was upset about Angel having sex with Lilah, which was why they decided Buffy should go out with her and Dennis tonight. Now they were all lovey, she had seen little things... everyone on the team had. Little touches or the pair holding hands, but they were never open about it. This was the most open she had seen them be, she didn't think they knew she was looking at them though.

"So." Buffy smiled making her way over to her brunette friend. "Tell me about this guy... what's his name? What does he do for a living?"

"His name is Kevin." Cordelia smiled as she sat on the couch. "And get this... he's a trust fund kid! He doesn't have to work!"

"Your kind of man." Buffy laughed, her smile slowly fell when she saw Fred walking down the stairs and standing beside Angel. Fred still didn't seem to like her very much, maybe it was because they both still had feelings for Angel. It was hard to let those feelings go.

"Hey." Fred giggled and looked at Angel. "What are ya'all doing?"

Angel shrugged and smiled at her. "Apparently talking about the guy Cordelia met at a club tonight. I thought you were sleeping, it's pretty late."

Fred looked at the clock on the wall, it was passed midnight. "Yeah, I guess it is." She laughed again. "I was just wondering what you were doing though."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, that girl was still smitten with Angel! When was she going to get it that he was either going to be with Buffy or spend the rest of his stupid vampire life alone?

"Hey, man!" Gunn shouted walking in the door. "I heard something about you tonight!"

"Wow." Fred smiled and shrugged. "Does anyone around here ever sleep."

"You know what I heard from a guy who heard from another guy who over heard a few vamps before he dusted them?" Gunn asked.

Angel shook his head. "I'm not sure who heard what anymore."

Buffy looked at Cordelia who also looked confused, so Buffy just shrugged. Maybe it would get less confusing at some point.

"Well, I heard..." Gunn started. "That YOU, my vampire boss are back to shacking up with your old Sire."

"What?" Angel laughed nervously. "That's ridiculous. I'm NOT shacking up with Darla." then quietly added. "It was one time."

Gunn took a step back. "Wait, so it's true?"

"Jeez!" Angel exclaimed under his breath. "What is this? High School?"

"You had sex with Darla?!" Buffy and Cordelia both shouted at the same time.

Fred looked around at everyone in the room. "Who is Darla?"

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, she looked hurt and pissed. "His vampire whore."

"When?! Why?" Cordelia couldn't think.

"I know when." Buffy said walking away from her best friend. It must have been Darla in Angel's room instead of Lilah.

"Little One..." Angel reached out to Buffy as she walked past him, when she didn't even look in his direction, he took a step towards her. "Buffy."

Cordelia shook her head. If Buffy wasn't going to make Angel suffer over this then she was! "I can't believe you would do that!"

Angel shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I didn't mean for it to happen! It just did!"

"You didn't mean for it happened a lot then!" Cordelia exclaimed. "From the way Buffy was talking you were doing it all night!"

"The way Buffy..." Angel shook his head. "What?"

"She heard you!" Cordelia shouted at her boss. "Thin walls and all! What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?!"

0o0o0

Buffy laid down on her bed, she could hear Cordelia and Angel yelling at each other, Gunn getting a word in occasionally. Then she heard what sounded like Fred crying, running down the hallway to her room. Buffy sat up, slightly worried about the southern girl. She could relate to Fred right now, she felt like crying but wouldn't let the tears fall. She didn't know if she was more pissed about the fact that Angel had sex with Darla after she had tried to kill her or if she was hurt because she was in love with him and he clearly wanted someone else. It was her own fault, she kept telling him to be happy with someone. She was just hoping he would have picked her to be happy with. She bit her lip trying to hold back the tears but failed, a silent tear ran down her left cheek.

0o0o0

A few hours later all the fighting had died down, but Buffy had heard Gunn talking loudly about calling Wesley and Doyle to get them over there... something about Fred. Buffy walked out of her room and down the stairs. "What's going on?"

Gunn looked up the stairs at the blonde. "Fred is gone. She ran away."

"What?" Buffy asked walking quickly down the stairs. That girl wouldn't be able to survive in LA at night even if there were no vampires or demons.

"Fred? Running away? She won't survive out there. She can't even tie her shoes without "Mr. Oh you're my big fat hero" around!" Cordelia told them as they all hurried into the lobby.

"You think I'm fat?" Angel asked offended.

Buffy and Gunn rolled their eyes.

"Let's just go find her!" Gunn exclaimed as he and Cordelia left to get some weapons just in case.

Buffy stayed leaning against the door frame to Angel's office, watching Angel sit on the couch that she had been bitten on. "Does every girl you save fall in love with you?"

Angel looked up at her from his hands, he was feeling extremely guilty about Fred running away, she couldn't protect herself any more than Buffy could. "Girls I save don't fall in love with me."

"Yes, they do." Buffy pushed herself away from the door frame. "I speak from experience." She said before walking away from him.

Angel watched her walk away with a surprised look on his face, was she implying that she was in love with him? Angel got up from the couch and made his way to the weapons cabinet as Buffy was getting an axe out. "What are you doing?"

"Look, I may not know Fred… at all but I want to help." Buffy said as Wesley and Doyle walked into The Hyperion. Cordelia had filled them in on everything that happened on the phone.

"No!" Angel exclaimed. "No! If there is a fight, I can't be worried about you."

"Dude, she took out four demons when ya'all were in Pylea. Give her a chance." Gunn said as he grabbed a sword and axe from the cabinet.

Angel didn't look convinced, Buffy raised her eye brows at Angel in annoyance.

"It's true man, she asked me and Gunn to help get rid of them. The dead bodies were just shoved in the broom closet. That would have made for an awful smell." Doyle smiled at Buffy.

Angel thought about it for a second. "Fine." He pointed at Buffy. "But the first sign of distress from you, I want you out of there!"

"I don't do distress, not anymore." Buffy went to turn from Angel. "You get pissed and you get even."

Angel raised his eyebrows at her, that was not the same Buffy he had saved from The Tribunal or from that gang of vampires. "Uh… Buffy? That's my axe." He pointed to the weapon in her hand.

"Really?" Buffy asked not caring, she knew very well that it was his, she looked down at the axe. "We kind of got close when you were gone."

Angel watched her walking away from him once again, with his favorite axe still in her hand.

0o0o0

After driving around for a few hours Wesley pointed at something on the steps of an old library. "Hey, look right there..."

"Is that her?" Angel asked pulling his car over to the side, Gunn was driving behind Angel and pulled over behind Angel's car.

"Considering she used to work in a library..." Cordelia said still annoyed at him for having sex with Darla. "... I'm going to go out on a limb and say she likes libraries."

They all got out of the car and walked up the steps, there was a young woman sitting on the steps with her face on her knees as she cried. They couldn't see her face though.

"Fred?" Cordelia asked.

The woman looked up at them, Wesley smiled in relief at the fact that it was indeed Fred. "Hey there Fred." Wesley said encouragingly. "Why don't we get home, it's getting pretty chilly out here."

Fred shook her head as Gunn and Doyle walked up the steps of the library, Buffy stayed at the bottom watching them. She didn't feel like being that close to Angel right now, especially since she had a stake in her coat pocket. She didn't think she would actually use it on him, but she was still very upset with him that she might get the urge to stab him near the heart just to scare him.

"Yeah." Cordelia bent down and smiled. "We could make hot coco and watch some movies if you want... Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"I..." Fred looked around at everyone. "I don't know..."

Cordelia held her hand out for Fred. "It will be like a slumber party."

Fred looked around the street, it was pretty scary out here and she already missed her room at the hotel. "Oh... Okay."

"Great." Cordelia smiled again.

Buffy was the first to turn around, walking back to the vehicles. "I'm riding with Gunn!" Buffy called without looking back. She had wanted to help find Fred, but she also didn't want to be the one that was stuck in a car with Angel.

Angel looked slightly hurt, If Buffy ever went anywhere, she would always ride with him until the trip to Pylea took place.

On the drive back to The Hyperion they saw a group of vampires attacking a family who was walking down the street. Buffy rolled her eyes. "Doesn't anyone stay inside at night anymore?" A small smiled played on her lips as she, Gunn and Doyle all jumped out of Gunn's old truck and Angel, Cordelia and Wesley hurried out of Angel's convertible.

Cordelia quickly turned around to look at Fred who was still in the convertible. "Stay!"

Angel felt a pang of anxiety when he couldn't find Buffy as they were fighting, he needed to make sure she was all right, but it seemed like every time he staked a vampire another one attacked him. It didn't seem like there were that many vampires when they had pulled up, but it felt like they were multiplying in his attempts to keep track of Buffy. As the fight continued Angel looked to his right and saw Buffy backing up towards him as a vampire stalked towards her. She blocked the vampire's blows with the handle of his favorite axe but didn't make any moves of her own, Angel thought the vampire looked like he was getting the upper hand, so he quickly took a stake out of the inside of his coat pocket dusting the vampire he was fighting.

Angel punched a vampire who tried to start a fight with him, knocking him to the ground. Just as Angel got to Buffy, her axe made contact with the vampire, beheading him. Angel looked at her shocked as she turned towards Angel and she just shrugged her shoulders. "What? You think I never watched you?" She said before turning to help Cordelia with the vampire she was fighting.

Angel stood there in awe as the fight continued around him, he watched as the vampire kicked Cordelia knocking her to the ground and punched Buffy hard enough to make her stumble and drop the axe, she quickly picked up the stake Cordelia had dropped. "We haven't been properly introduced." she spun around, her long blonde hair flying out around her. "I'm Buffy, and you're history!" She said as she buried the stake into the male vampire's heart.

Angel couldn't help but smile a little, watching Buffy fight was kind of hot. "Well, alright then." Angel nodded, going back to the fight.

Chapter 20 will be done very soon. I'm hoping to post it before I go to work tomorrow but if not, it might have to wait until the weekend when I have a day off from work. Please review!


	20. Angel's Choice

I decided to try to finish this chapter tonight instead of posting it tomorrow. Since tomorrow is New Year's Eve, hopefully I will have time to write an update for my story New Year's in Handcuffs. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 20: Angel's Choice

Buffy set her bowl of cereal down on the receptionist desk where Cordelia was working on the computer. She glanced over at the computer to see what she was working on and wrinkled up her face in disgust when she saw that they were crime scene photos. Kate must have sent them. "I just have this serious fear that the bitch is going to come back pregnant or something." Buffy said randomly.

"I love how freely you talk with me." Cordelia smiled at her blonde best friend. "I already went to the big guy with my fears about that, he assures me that vampires can't have babies."

"That's good!" Buffy exclaimed.

Cordelia nodded. "Also, he completely understands that we are all pissed about it. He said he wasn't thinking, it just happened."

"Oh, he was thinking. Just not with his head above the belt!" Buffy said dropping her spoon into her bowl with a loud clank.

Cordelia laughed. "Someone is a little extra bitchy right now."

Buffy shrugged. "I just… he had sex with her after she tried to kill me!"

"Yeah! I know! He is a total ass." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I seriously can't believe he did that, like sex with his vampire ex wasn't bad enough, she tried to kill one of his friends a few weeks before."

"I wouldn't exactly call me and Angel friends." She said walking over to pour a cup of coffee.

Cordelia frowned. "What would you call you guys then?"

"He saved my life a few times and now I work for him." Buffy shrugged. "We aren't really talking much right now, don't you have to talk to be friends?"

"Not with Angel." Cordelia told her. "When I first met him, he hardly even talked to me, but I stuck around and now look at us."

"I don't know about the sticking around part." Buffy glanced down at her coffee mug and leaned against the counter. "Every time I even look at him, I think about how he had sex with the thing that tried to kill me and what if she comes back for another go with him? I don't want to be around when she does."

"Buffy, I know you have… feelings for him, is that the real reason you don't want to stay?"

Buffy shook her head but then paused. "Maybe… part of it. Darla tried to kill me, I just get this urge to do the same thing to her. She is a lot stronger than me, I get that but if I had the chance to kill her, I'm almost certain that I would take it. Then Angel would hate me because he is like, in love with her."

"He does NOT love her!" Cordelia shouted. "I would stake him myself!"

"Besides, it's not like I am needed here. Everyone knows I am just another pending case." Buffy said as she pushed her bowl to the side.

"I wouldn't say pending…" Cordelia thought for a second. "I would call you a puzzling case. I mean, we just can NOT figure out why demons and vampires and well everything that goes bump in the night is so attracted to you. Even Angel said he feels it."

"Still?" Buffy asked, the brunette nodded. "I never would have guessed with how he goes out of his way to stay away from me these days. He is so hot and cold sometimes, the other night after I got back from the club, he was so sweet... taking care of me then we..."

Suddenly there was a loud crash causing Buffy to jump, she let out a sigh of relief when she heard Fred giggling.

"I swear, that girl would giggle at anything Angel said or did." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Obviously, she is over the fact that he nailed Darla."

Buffy rolled her eyes when she heard Fred laugh again. "Cordelia, could I… maybe stay at your apartment for a little while? I don't really feel safe here."

"Yeah." Cordelia whispered with a sad look on her face. "Dennis would love the company." She gave her friend a small smile then spoken a little louder. "But you know Buffy, no one here would let anything happen to you."

"Yeah, I know." Buffy said quietly. "But no one was here."

"The only vampire welcome in my apartment is Angel so you will be safe."

Buffy looked behind her as Angel and Fred walked by, Angel looked up and nodded at the two women then turned back to Fred and smiled.

"At least she is out of her room now." Cordelia commented turning back to the computer screen.

0o0o0

The next day Angel came down the stairs of The Hyperion Hotel and saw Cordelia at the front desk, every day was the same thing he would come down from his room after he had drunk his morning cup of blood and go down stairs to have a cup of coffee with his human friends… and sometimes Lorne of course. He used to drink his blood in front of his closest friends, Doyle, Cordelia and Wesley had known him for so long they didn't mind seeing him drink blood, but he didn't want Buffy to see him drinking blood.

Today was different though, as he came down stairs, he could see the guys talking over some books in the office and Cordelia at the front desk alone. Buffy was normally always with her at the front desk, he didn't like her not being there. "Hello Cordelia."

"Hi Angel." She glanced up at him then back down at the invoice in her hand.

Glancing around as he got closer to the front desk where Cordelia and Buffy both had their desks set up behind the front desk, he still didn't see Buffy, he couldn't feel her either which meant she wasn't in The Hyperion. "Where is Buffy?"

"At my place." Cordelia said not looking up as she shuffled threw some papers. Buffy started doing the filing after Angel had tried to find a case file and actually found it where it should have been. Apparently, he didn't like it when Cordelia filed David Nabbit under R for Rich or Virginia Bryce under F for Fashionable.

"We kind of need her… here." Angel hinted, he was slightly afraid of Cordelia playing receptionist again.

Cordelia huffed. "Excuse me! I can handle the paper work! I did it before! You know..." Cordelia paused. "You should start training with Buffy or something, like how you did with me."

"She seems like she is doing pretty good on her own." Angel told her taking a file from the top of the pile, he hoped it was still organized the way Buffy did it, he liked that she put the open cases together with the most important ones on top. "Why would I need to train with her?"

"Because she is thinking about leaving." Cordelia informed him.

"Leaving? What? Why?" He asked stunned. "What can I do to get her to stay?"

Cordelia sighed. "Keep Darla away." Tossing the papers onto the front desk Cordelia put her hands on her hips, when Angel didn't respond. "You would pick Darla over Buffy? Are you going crazy?"

"It not about picking Darla…" Angel trailed off.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Well, if you are using this so-called sire bond as an excuse then you better get unconnected to Darla real fast buddy before you are the reason I lose my best friend and the best damn receptionist you ever had!"

Angel let out an audible sigh. "Fine, if it is about picking, then I already made my choice."

"Seriously?" Cordelia gasped. "You are seriously going to pick Darla!"

"I pick Buffy!" Angel exclaimed. "I killed Darla!"

Cordelia raised her eyebrows, looking towards Angel's office where the rest of the team was to see if they heard what he had said. "What?"

"After she attacked Buffy, I had Merl get some information on where Darla was, and I staked her!" He exclaimed again, he couldn't believe that Cordelia thought for a moment that he would pick his sire over Buffy. His sire bond had always been strong with Darla, but since Buffy came into the picture, the bond just wasn't what it used to be.

"You're serious." The brunette shook her head. "Have you told Buffy?"

Angel shook his head. "No." He whispered. "I have been feeling good since I staked Darla, really good. I'm happy that she is finally gone and I didn't want to talk about her."

"Wait…" Cordelia closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. "If Darla is dead then who did you have sex with the other night when Buffy heard you?"

"No one!" Angel shouted, then lowered his voice. "I haven't had sex with anyone since Bu… since the whole Rebecca thing." Cordelia opened her mouth to speak but Angel cut her off. "It wasn't with Rebecca."

Cordelia snapped her mouth shut then looked at Angel, confused. "Then why did you say you had sex with Darla?"

"Because, I did." He whispered. "It just wasn't when everyone else thought it was, apparently."

"What did Buffy hear that night then?" Cordelia questioned. "Wait, were you watching porn?"

"What!" Angel asked, offended. "No! I don't watch porn, Cordelia, not that it is any of your business."

Cordelia thought for a moment, Buffy was positive that she heard Angel that night. Something was going on. Cordelia went silent before whispering "You have to tell Buffy."

Angel raised his eyebrows at his friend. "That I don't watch porn?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "About Darla."

"I will." Angel nodded.

0o0o0

Angel rushed down the stairs from his room with a big smile on his face. "Hey! You're here!"

Buffy looked up from where she set her purse and nodded. "Yeah, Doyle said you guys needed me."

"Of course!" Angel said laughing lightly. "I'm sure Cordelia already ruined your filing system."

"Yeah." Buffy nodded and looked towards the filing cabinets. "There is just something about the alphabet she doesn't get."

Angel nodded. "You know what, I was thinking..." He lightly nudged her arm. "What if we started training together? You know... you are already pretty good with an axe... when did that happen?"

Buffy shrugged. "It just kind of did..."

"What about if we started right now?" Angel asked hopefully.

Buffy looked down at her skirt and tank top. "Not exactly dressed for it."

Angel shrugged, motioning upstairs. "Just go up to your room and change." He smiled. "I'll wait."

"Oh... kay." Buffy watched him oddly as she slowly walked up the stairs to her room. Something was going on with him.

"You know, I am going to go set some mats up..." Angel smiled walking backwards. "I will meet you in the basement."

Buffy nodded and continued to walk up the stairs.

After Buffy changed her clothes, she walked down the basement stairs. "Angel?" She called. "Are you down here?"

"Hey Little One!" He smiled from behind a black punching bag that was handing from a bar on the ceiling. "Ready to start?" He asked her. "I'm really curious as to how you got so good with the axe..."

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know... this demon was coming at me and I grabbed the axe. I just felt... stronger with it. It's hard to explain but... I felt like it was …. mine."

Angel raised his eyebrows at her. "I have had that axe for a long time."

"I know! And it's stupid..." Buffy shook her head. "...because I had never even picked up a weapon with the intent of using it."

"I know." Angel nodded. He didn't think Buffy would ever fight, she was too much like his Elizabeth. Not a violent bone in her body. Something obviously changed with Buffy. "Okay, first... you won't always have a weapon, so you need to learn hand to hand."

Buffy nodded, Angel always made everything sound so easy. "Yeah... like that can't be too hard."

Angel gave her a grin. "Come here." He tapped her on the arm and motioned to the mats he had laid out on the floor. Standing on the mat with his feet shoulder width apart and waited for Buffy to stand in front of him. "Feet shoulder width apart." He waited for her to move her feet. "Okay, first and most important... ALWAYS protect your face and head."

Buffy nodded her understanding.

0o0o0

Angel handed Buffy a bottle of water and sat down on the stairs next to her. He watched her take a drink while she looked at the mats in front of her. They were both still sweaty from their training and he thought she looked beautiful. "You did good."

Turning to look at him she gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"You know..." Angel turned to look forward. "I never wanted this for you."

"Wanted what?" Buffy asked confused.

Angel nodded towards the mat. "Fighting. I was trying to keep you as far away from it as possible. When I first met you... you had so much innocents to you. I wanted you to keep that for as long as possible."

"Then why train me?" She asked shaking her head.

"You are fighting anyway." Angel shrugged. "Might as well make sure you know what you are doing."

"Thanks." Buffy nodded. "I never wanted to fight before but now... I like it. It definitely works out frustrations that cleaning just doesn't."

Angel turned and smiled at her. "Yeah, it does do that."

Buffy smiled back and laughed causing Angel to laugh too.

"Hey!" Cordelia called from the top of the stairs. "How's it going?"

"Good." Angel replied turning his head to look up the stairs. "We are finished for today."

"Awww." Buffy pouted. "Already? Did I tire the old man out?"

Angel looked at her teasingly. "Hardly. I wanted to give you a break. We can pick up again tomorrow."

Cordelia shook her head and walked back out into the lobby. Those two needed to get together and fast!

"Buffy." Angel whispered, stopping her in her tracks as she was making her way up the stairs. "Can I talk to you about something? I don't want to make a big thing about it, in fact, I really don't want to talk about it once I tell you this."

Buffy turned around, she didn't know what he was talking about, but it was worrying her. "What is it, Angel?"

"Darla…" He whispered. "She's dead, I staked her."

"Wha…" Buffy didn't know what to say. "Angel."

Angel just shook his head, making his way around her and up the stairs. "I just wanted to let you know."


End file.
